HM Treasury

Employee Benefit Trusts

Ian Austin: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has conducted a review of regulations relating to employee benefit trusts as a result of the case of the Roadchef Employees Benefit Trust.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) periodically reviews the taxation affairs of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs). Where reviews have identified wider taxation implications, HMRC has taken appropriate action. For example, the use of EBTs as avoidance vehicles resulted in legislation being introduced to address disguised remuneration. HMRC has identified no further EBT issues with wider taxation implications and no formal review of regulations relating to EBTs is planned.

Terrorism: Compensation

Neil Coyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure prompt payment of compensation by insurance companies to businesses affected by recent terrorist attacks; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to improve the speed with which such payments are made.

Stephen Barclay: The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules. The FCA sets the conduct standards required of insurance firms which aim to ensure consumers are treated fairly. This includes provisions relating to the handling of claims by insurers. The rules state that insurers must handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. Furthermore, through the Enterprise Act 2016, the Government introduced a legal requirement for claims to be made within a reasonable timescale, and created an entitlement to damages where claims are paid late. Following discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the Treasury has formally certified the London Bridge attack as an act of terrorism, following an established legal process. This is a necessary step before any claims can be made on the terrorism reinsurer, Pool Re. The Treasury recognises the urgency of responding to requests for certification and treats this as a matter of priority.

EU Grants and Loans

Gill Furniss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce a UK shared prosperity fund; how much such a fund will contain; to whom that funding will be made available; and how those eligible for funding will apply for access to that funding.

Elizabeth Truss: The government’s manifesto committed to create a UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Further details will be set out in due course. The government has provided a guarantee for all European Structural and Investment Fund projects signed before the UK leaves the European Union (EU) if they provide good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities. This includes projects that continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

Foreign Exchange

Gill Furniss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the results of the research commissioned by his Department on the effect of current pricing structures used by foreign exchange providers on consumer value choices.

Ian Murray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 18 April 2017 to Question 69488, if he will publish the results of the research commissioned by his Department on the effect of pricing structures used by foreign exchange providers on consumer value choices.

Stephen Barclay: In its Answer of 18 April 2017 to Question 69488, the Government stated that it was conducting research on the effects of transparency in overseas money transfers (involving foreign exchange), on consumer decisions. This research will help to inform the Government's response to the consultation on draft regulations for the implementation of the Second Payment Services Directive. This response will be published shortly.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Caroline Dinenage: The number of contracts awarded from 2010 to present/2017, to charities or social enterprise organisations, by DWP totals 67.31 were awarded to charities and 36 to social enterprise. The breakdown for years in question from 2010 is laid out in the draft below; Contract Dates20102011201220132014201520162017Charities1131141001Social Enterprise162306612

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of women in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry local authority area, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England who will be affected by changes to the state pension age for women born in the 1950s.

Guy Opperman: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 03 July 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995. The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960. Information on the numbers affected by constituent country, parliamentary constituency or local authority is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the most recent population breakdowns for England and its parliamentary constituencies by age can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/parliamentaryconstituencymidyearpopulationestimates Population breakdowns by local authority, region and country can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland The House of Commons library have produced a paper estimating the number of women affected by the Pensions Act 2011 (those born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953 April 1960) by constituency, which can be found here:http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7405/CBP-07405constituencyestimates.xlsx

Guy Opperman: Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1953 were affected by State Pension age equalisation under the Pensions Act 1995. The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated the equalisation of State Pension age, and included transitional arrangements limiting State Pension age delays, affecting women born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953. It also brought forward the increase in State Pension age from 65 to 66 which affected women born between 6 December 1953 and 5 April 1960. Information on the numbers affected by constituent country, parliamentary constituency or local authority is not held by the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the most recent population breakdowns for England and its parliamentary constituencies by age can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/parliamentaryconstituencymidyearpopulationestimates Population breakdowns by local authority, region and country can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland The House of Commons library have produced a paper estimating the number of women affected by the Pensions Act 2011 (those born between 6 April 1953 and 5 December 1953 April 1960) by constituency, which can be found here:http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7405/CBP-07405constituencyestimates.xlsx

Children: Poverty

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the removal of child poverty targets on levels of persistent poverty in the UK.

Caroline Dinenage: No assessment has been made of the effect of repealing the child poverty targets on levels of persistent poverty. Making a meaningful difference to the lives of disadvantaged children requires an approach that goes beyond the safety net of the welfare state to tackle the root causes of child poverty and disadvantage. The income-related targets set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 have been replaced by two new statutory measures of parental worklessness and children’s educational attainment to drive continued action on the areas that can make the biggest difference to children’s outcomes, now and in the future.

Social Security Benefits

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the benefit freeze on levels of persistent poverty in the UK.

Damian Hinds: The Department has made no assessment of the impact of the benefit freeze on levels of persistent poverty. Wider social and economic factors, including employment effects, make it challenging to isolate, with any certainty, the impacts of the benefit freeze in comparison to a counterfactual in which benefit rates were not frozen. Full analysis of persistent low income, across the whole population and various demographic subgroups, is available in Income Dynamics (published in March 2017). The latest data covers the time period 2010 to 2015. The government is committed to measuring the percentage of children in persistent low income, as set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

Poverty

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of any gap between male and female persistent poverty rates.

Damian Hinds: Between 2011 and 2015 7% of adult men and 9% of adult women were in persistent low income Before Housing Costs. Over the same survey period 10% of adult men and 11% of adult women were in persistent low income After Housing Costs. An individual is considered to be in persistent low income if they live in a household whose income has been less than 60 per cent of the median equivalised net household income in at least 3 out of the last 4 survey periods. Full analysis of persistent low income is available in Income Dynamics (published in March 2017). The government is committed to measuring the percentage of children in persistent low income, as set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

Social Security Benefits

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the benefit cap on levels of persistent poverty in the UK.

Damian Hinds: Impacts of the benefit cap on levels of persistent poverty have not been estimated. The benefit cap does not affect working families. The latest statistics from Income Dynamics show that work continues to be the best route out of poverty. Both working-age adults and children are less likely to be in persistent low income households where at least one adult worked. Full analysis of persistent low income is available in Income Dynamics (published in March 2017). The government is committed to measuring the percentage of children in persistent low income, as set out in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

Supported Housing: Universal Credit

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the suitability of universal credit for people living in supported housing.

Caroline Dinenage: The joint DCLG and DWP consultation on funding for supported housing which closed earlier this year explained the interaction between Universal Credit and supported housing: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/funding-for-supported-housing

Poverty

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on levels of poverty in the UK.

Damian Hinds: No assessment has been made on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on levels of poverty in the UK. DWP’s Households Below Average Income (HBAI) publication provides annual estimates on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households. HBAI is the foremost source for data and information about household income in the UK. The statistics are based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) whose focus is capturing information on incomes. The latest release of the HBAI publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201516

Universal Credit: Self-employed

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have been self-employed for more than 12 months and in receipt of universal credit who are exempt from the minimum income floor.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is currently not available. It is too early to say, as the number of self-employed claimants on UC remains low. We intend to carry out research and evaluation on self-employment in UC going forward, as the number of self-employed claimants increases. The UC Evaluation Framework, published in July 2016, sets out our plans. The UC Evaluation Framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-evaluation-framework-2016

Children: Maintenance

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service is entitled to full access to (a) assessments made and (b) data held by the Child Support Agency.

Caroline Dinenage: I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided to his questions on 4 July 2017 (1932, and 1934).

Children: Maintenance

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will implement the recommendations in the Work and Pensions Select Committee report, Child Maintenance Service, HC587, published on 2 May 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government welcomes the Work and Pensions Select Committee report and is carefully considering its recommendations. We will submit the Government response in due course.

Home Office

Police Stations: Rural Areas

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of reducing the number of counter staff at rural police stations.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has made no assessments on this issue. It is a local decision for Police and Crime Commissioners, working with Chief Constables, to determine the composition and size of their workforce and estates, and the methods by which they maintain contact with the public.

Immigration: Glasgow South

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU citizens in Glasgow South constituency will have to apply for settled status as outlined in Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017.

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many EU citizens working in the NHS in Glasgow will have to apply for settled status as outlined Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017.

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of EU citizens who have immigrated to Glasgow since 29 March 2017.

Brandon Lewis: The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, proposes that EU citizens who arrive in the UK before the specified date, have five years’ continuous residence and who do not breach the requirements in relation to criminality, public policy and public security, will be able to apply for UK settled status.This is a fair and serious offer, and EU citizens granted settled status will be free to reside in any capacity and undertake any lawful activity. We also intend to treat EU citizens with settled status in the same way as if they were UK citizens for the purposes of education, benefits and pensions.This will be subject to negotiations and a reciprocal deal with the EU.The Home Office does not hold any data on the numbers of EU citizens in Glasgow who may have to apply for settled status. No estimate has been made of the number of EU citizens who have immigrated to Glasgow since 29 March 2017.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of processing settled status claims for EU citizens.

Brandon Lewis: As with other areas of the immigration system, we aim to keep costs to the taxpayer to a minimum by charging the applicant a fee.We recognise the cost of the new settled status application will be important for EU citizens, and intend to set fees at a reasonable level. Delivery options will be subject to negotiation with the EU so it is not currently possible to provide an estimate of the cost to the public purse.

Terrorism: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the security of pedestrianised areas in York against (a) terrorist and (b) vehicle-borne terrorist attack.

Mr Ben  Wallace: It would not be appropriate to comment on specific security activities and arrangements at a particular location. However, the police undertake appropriate policing deployments utilising the full range of assets available to them, including armed officers and other specialist capabilities, to protect and reassure the public across the UK including in city centres. These deployments are designed against the current national threat level of SEVERE, which means that an attack is highly likely, and consider a range of attack methodologies including vehicle as a weapon attacks.Furthermore, under the Government’s counter terrorism strategy CONTEST we have ensured that businesses and local authorities have access to high-quality advice and guidance, provided by the police and others, so they know what steps to take to reduce vulnerability to, and prepare for, terrorist attack. Public vigilance, the work of the police, and of the security and intelligence agencies all contribute to make crowded places safer. I am determined that the CONTEST strategy is applied throughout the whole of the UK and not just the bigger cities.

Counter-terrorism: Training

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used to evaluate the effectiveness of Prevent Strategy training.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Government has developed a dual approach to assessing the effectiveness of initiatives funded by the Prevent strategy. It is based on comprehensive monitoring systems which track outcomes over time and robust evaluation techniques that assess effectiveness.Over 850,000 frontline staff have received training on spotting signs of radicalisation and feedback from those who have attended WRAP training shows that 90% of attendees rated their understanding of how people can be influenced or radicalised as “good” or “excellent” following the training.

Safety Barriers

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional funding she is providing for the erection of barriers to protect buildings and other places where people congregate in cities.

Mr Ben  Wallace: For reasons of national security we do not publically disclose the detailed allocation of funding for counter terrorism by force area or by capability.Overall this Government has protected counter-terrorism police spend in real terms over the Spending Review period, and invested in counter-terrorism policing to grow key capabilities, including providing £144m to increase armed policing capability. We remain committed to increasing cross-government spending on counter-terrorism by 30%, from £11.7 billion to £15.1 billion, including funding an additional 1,900 officers at our security and intelligence agencies. The Government has a constructive dialogue with policing to ensure that the right powers, capabilities and resources are in place.Within the contest strategy one of the main pillars is to protect and prepare the country for an attack when it happens. Bespoke advice and guidance on protective security is provided to businesses and local authorities responsible for crowded places by specialist Counter-Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) who operate in every police region. All police forces also have access to the National Barrier Asset, which is made up of a range of temporary Hostile Vehicle Mitigation equipment, security fences and gates that enable temporary physical protection of sites.

Counter-terrorism

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on planning to prevent terrorist acts in their communities.

Mr Ben  Wallace: We work in partnership with local authorities to build resilience in communities, to tackle the influences of radicalisation, and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism.We work to protect all communities and help them to prevent terrorist attacks. Following recent incidents, particularly Finsbury Park, the police have been engaging with their local faith communities to provide advice and reassurance and have reviewed their policing plans.Under the Government’s counter terrorism strategy CONTEST, work takes place to improve protective security and preparedness at crowded places by ensuring businesses and local authorities have access to high quality protective security advice. Advice for businesses is provided by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).NaCTSO have published sector specific protective security advice and guidance for owners and operators of crowded places sites including places of worship, to allow them to identify key risks and consider what steps to take. The advice and guidance is provided independent of threat level, and is designed to be appropriate and proportionate, and wherever possible cost-effective.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer of 27 June 2017 to the right hon. Member for Leeds Central, Official Report, column 309, whether EU citizens applying to have a (a) spouse or partner, (b) child over 18-years old, (c) child under 18-years old or (d) parent join them in the UK after the UK has left the EU will be required to meet a minimum income threshold.

Brandon Lewis: The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, proposes that family members who wish to join an eligible EU citizen after exit will be subject to the same rules as apply to non-EU nationals joining British citizens, or alternatively to the post-exit immigration arrangements for EU citizens who arrive after the specified date, if they are an EU citizen.It is our intention that all EU citizens living lawfully in the UK before the specified date are covered by the proposals. It will not be necessary to be present in the UK on the specified date and – as is currently the case under the Free Movement Directive - there will be flexibility for temporary absences.The Government undertakes to treat EU citizens who were resident in the UK before the specified date, according to the principles set out in the policy paper in the expectation that the EU will offer reciprocal treatment for UK nationals resident in its member states.Further details of the Government’s proposals on citizens’ rights are in the policy paper on ‘Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU’, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to introduce a new seasonal agricultural workers scheme.

Brandon Lewis: For the time being, the United Kingdom remains a part of the European Union and the latest labour market statistics continue to show an increased number of EU citizens entering into the UK labour force. However, the Government has committed to keeping the position under review and we will continue to engage with the agricultural sector. Future decisions about the degree of labour market access that will be made available to EU citizens after the UK leaves the European Union have yet to be determined.

Vetting

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to increase the range of offences that will never be filtered from a disclosure and barring certificate.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to include the offences of (a) stalking, (b) coercive control and (c) harassment in the list of offences that will never be filtered from a disclosure and barring certificate.

Sarah Newton: Disclosure and barring arrangements seek to strike a balance between offender rehabilitation and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.Public protection is a key priority for the Government and under current legislation all cautions and convictions for specified serious violent and sexual offences, which includes certain harassment and stalking offences, will always remain subject to disclosure on a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate.In addition there are a number of safeguards aimed at ensuring convictions that may suggest a safeguarding risk are disclosed. Convictions will continue to be disclosed if less than 11 years has passed (or 5 and a half years if the offender was under 18), a custodial sentence was received or if an individual has more than one conviction.The Government takes its responsibilities in supporting public protection very seriously and will continue to consider what steps should be taken to ensure that disclosure arrangements continue to protect the public from safeguarding risks, including keeping the list of offences that are never filtered from a certificate under constant review.

Fire Stations

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire stations there were in England in (a) 2010 and (b) 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: The latest published information on numbers of fire stations can be found in Table 1403 of the “Fire and rescue authorities: operational statistics bulletin for England 2015 to 2016” available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire-statistics-data-tables

Stalking

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of women being stalked have been reported to the police in each of the last five years; and how many people have been convicted of stalking in that same period.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office does not hold the requested information centrally.The Home Office collects data on the number of stalking offences recorded by the police forces in England and Wales, although these data cannot be broken down by gender of victim. Data on stalking offences have been published since 2014/15. Prior to this date, there were included in the harassment offence classification. These are published by the Office for National Statistics and can be found in Table A4 of the latest Crime in England and Wales publication:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesbulletintablesThe Home Office does not hold information on the number of offences that led to conviction. Data on convictions are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. They have supplied information on the number of convictions for stalking and this is given in the table.

Fire Prevention: Southwark

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to ensure fire prevention work is conducted in Southwark since the closure for Southwark Fire Station.

Mr Nick Hurd: Each fire and rescue authority is required to produce an integrated risk management plan identifying and assessing the fire and rescue related risks facing its communities, and to demonstrate how their resources will be used to mitigate these. It is the responsibility of each fire and rescue authority to manage their resources across prevention, protection and operational response to meet local risk.

Radicalism: Internet

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to safeguard vulnerable individuals from online radicalisation.

Mr Ben  Wallace: This Government has been clear there should be no safe space online for terrorists and their supporters to radicalise, recruit, incite, or inspire. We continue to work closely with industry to come up with new innovative ways for tackling terrorist use of the internet, as well as helping to provide targeted counter-narrative.This included working with social media companies to set up the Global Internet Forum to counter-terrorism, launched by Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft on 26 June 2017. This followed a meeting hosted by the Home Secretary on 30 March 2017 where the companies agreed to set up the forum Anyone can contact local authority safeguarding teams or their local police using the 101 non-emergency number if they believe someone is being radicalised; referrals can also be made through any of the means below:Anti-Terrorism Hotline – 0800 789 321Department for Education Helpline (for concerns about radicalisation in schools or children’s services) – 020 7340 7264NSPCC Helpline – 0808 800 5000

Radicalism

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle extremism.

Sarah Newton: We are committed to defeating extremism wherever it occurs and will be establishing a Commission to lead this effort. The Commission for Countering Extremism will advise on how best to tackle this menace and will support our communities to promote and defend our fundamental values.

Cybercrime

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle cyber crime.

Mr Ben  Wallace: Cyber security, including cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. This is why the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 is supported by £1.9billion of transformational investment.Through the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP), we invested over £90 million under the 2010-2015 Parliament to bolster the law enforcement response to cyber crime, and we are continuing to invest.We will boost the capabilities of the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit by increasing their ability to investigate the most serious cyber crime, and we will continue to invest in the cyber crime teams within each of the Regional Organised Crime Units across England and Wales.We have also established the National Cyber Security Centre which manage national cyber security incidents, carry out real-time threat analysis and provide tailored sectoral advice.The NCSP also funds the Cyber Aware campaign which works with a range of public and private sector partners to encourage the public, and Small and Medium Enterprises, to adopt more secure online behaviour like using strong passwords and downloading software updates.

Knives: Crime

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce knife crime.

Sarah Newton: Tackling knife crime is a priority for the Government. Our Modern Crime Prevention Strategy published in March 2016 set out a range of measures to strengthen our response to knife crime. Our work to tackle knife crime is centred on four key strands – working with the police on operations and enforcement, work on legislative framework, work with retailers on responsible sales, and early intervention and prevention.We are taking firm action including encouraging police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and the use of surrender bins. The Home Office hosted a national briefing event for police forces on Operation Sceptre on 14 June and a record twenty nine police forces are expected to be involved in the next week of action planned for mid July.In 2016, we also legislated to ban the sale and importation of “zombie knives”. We have agreed a set of commitments with major retailers to prevent the underage sales of knives more generally in their stores and online. The agreement also covers staff training and displays and packaging. Tesco, eBay UK, Lidl UK, Amazon UK, Wilko, Argos, Asda, Poundland, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis and Waitrose have all signed up to the principles. They have since been joined by Boots, the Co-op, B&Q, Aldi and TKMaxx. We also work with Crimestoppers to refresh their Fearless website and are supporting the development of youth violence intervention projects in hospital accident and emergency departments outside London.

Human Trafficking

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suspects have been arrested in the UK after the use of Europol's European Migrant Smuggling Centre since February 2016.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions the UK accessed information from Europol's European Migrant Smuggling Centre in each year since that centre's creation.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases have been shared through Europol's Joint Operational Team Mare programme by (a) the UK, (b) other EU member states, (c) states with operational agreements with Europol and (d) states with strategic agreements with Europol in each year since that programme's creation in March 2015.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contributions Europol's Joint Operational Team Mare has made to UK border control operations at (a) Calais and (b) other locations in each year since March 2015.

Brandon Lewis: Intelligence exchange between UK law enforcement and Europol is well-established and routine, including on organised immigration crime. The National Crime Agency and Immigration Enforcement also support Europol with seconded staff, including within the European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC), which incorporates JOT Mare. This cooperation has and continues to assist UK efforts to tackle organised immigration crime impacting on the UK.However, the data requested is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Hate Crime

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will undertake a review into the causes of the change in hate crimes recorded in England and Wales in the month after the EU referendum.

Sarah Newton: Following the EU referendum last year, we saw a spike in reported racially and religiously aggravated hate crime offences. However, the number of offences declined throughout August and at the end of the month the number of offences was similar to pre-referendum levels.In response to this spike, the Government took a number of steps to provide assurances to communities, including EU citizens residing in the UK. The Government also made it clear that we will not tolerate hate crime and that we actively work to tackle it.In July 2016, we published the Hate Crime Action Plan, “Action Against Hate”, which sets out a range of actions aimed at tackling all forms of hate crime. This includes indentifying and challenging attitudes and beliefs underlying hate crime, responding to hate crime and supporting communities, and improving understanding of hate crime through improved reporting.Improvements in recording by the police, a greater awareness of hate crime and improved willingness of victims to come forward may also have led to the increase in reporting.Hate crime levels continue to be monitored, with government working closely with police and local organisations to provide reassurance to areas affected by hate crime.Although we do not intend to conduct a formal review of the cause of the spike following the referendum, we continue to look into underlying reasons for hate crime through engagement with stakeholders and local community groups.

Visas

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of implications for her Department's policy on settlement visa applications of the Supreme Court judgment of February 2017.

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a date has been set for resuming the processing of settlement visa applications following the judgment of the Supreme Court of 22 February 2017.

Brandon Lewis: A temporary hold on decision-making in respect of some settlement visa applications was introduced on 22 February 2017 so that the implications of the Supreme Court judgment handed down that day in MM (Lebanon) & Others could be considered.The settlement visa applications affected are those under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules which fall to be refused and which involve a child or do not meet the minimum income requirement. The temporary hold will be lifted once the judgment’s findings have been addressed.

Migrant Workers: Shipping

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues on the effect of new Immigration Rules on the employment of non-European Economic Area seafarers on vessels engaged in construction and maintenance of offshore wind projects in UK territorial waters.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Immigration Rules were amended to enable employers in the offshore wind sector to recruit seafarers from countries outside the European Economic Area to work on vessels involved in construction and maintenance projects in UK territorial waters.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seafarers from non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries have been employed in the offshore wind sector on vessels engaged in construction and maintenance projects in UK territorial waters since the Immigration Rules on employment of non-EEA seafarers were amended.

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of seafarers from non-European Economic Area countries who will be employed in the offshore wind sector on vessels engaged in construction and maintenance projects in UK territorial water after the changes to the Immigration Rules expire on 21 October 2017.

Brandon Lewis: A time-limited concession, outside of the Immigration Rules, has been introduced to afford the industry opportunity to take steps to regularise its arrangements for employing non-EEA crew of vessels engaged in the construction and maintenance of wind farms located in UK territorial waters. It is not possible to give an overall figure on the number of such crew affected.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU citizens who have applied for permanent residency documents will be offered compensation if those documents are made invalid under the Government's offer to EU citizens.

Brandon Lewis: The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, sets out that EU documents certifying permanent residence will not be automatically replaced with a grant of settled status, but we will seek to make the application process for settled status as streamlined as possible for those who already hold such documents. The Government intends to set fees at a reasonable level.Further details on the scheme will be provided in due course.

Northern Ireland Office

Rape: Northern Ireland

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the duty to inform the police of a relevant offence contained in the provisions of NCC1, support for a child conceived without consent, on the safety of women and children in Northern Ireland.

Chloe Smith: The Government does not consider that this policy will impact on the safety of women and children in Northern Ireland. Guidance states that women applying for the exception for non-consensual conception do not have to tell a third party the name of the other biological parent nor is there a requirement on the third party to seek any further evidence beyond confirming that the exception should apply.

Northern Ireland Office: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Chloe Smith: Since 2010, the Department has not awarded any contracts, which were put out to tender, to either charities or social enterprises.

Political Parties: Northern Ireland

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on increasing the public transparency of political donations and donors for parties in Northern Ireland.

James Brokenshire: As I informed the House during my statement of 3 July 2017, and consistent with the commitment set out in the Conservative Party's Northern Ireland manifesto, I intend to bring forward legislation that will provide for the publication of all donations and loans received by Northern Ireland parties on or after the 1 July 2017. This will bring Northern Ireland in line with the rest of the UK with regard to the publication of information relating to political donation and loans.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Bullying

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle online bullying in rural areas.

Matt Hancock: The Government expects social media companies, and internet platforms, to have robust processes in place and to act promptly when all forms of abuse, including cyber bullying is reported. That includes acting quickly to removing inappropriate content, and where appropriate, suspending or terminating the accounts of those breaching the rules in place. We are continuing to work closely with industry.

Department of Health

Royal Brompton Hospital

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the scientific evidential basis is that patients being treated at the congenital heart disease unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital will receive better care elsewhere when that unit closes.

Mr Philip Dunne: No decision has been made to close the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following consultation. The standards for congenital heart disease services were consulted upon and agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015. The evidence base for the standards was published at the time and is available as part of the relevant board paper. NHS England expects that, by implementing the agreed standards, the quality of care that patients receive will be consistently of the highest quality wherever they are treated and that this will be reflected in the experience of patients and their families.

Bootham Park Hospital

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will prioritise the site of Bootham Park Hospital, York as a community asset rather than being sold for development.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Bootham site is currently operational and has not been declared surplus. With the recent announcement of Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust’s development plans, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) is aware that the site may be largely vacant from December 2017. NHSPS is in discussions with healthcare commissioners about whether there will be a requirement for the site for ongoing healthcare use after that time. It is critical that NHSPS works with the commissioners to avoid incurring costs for sites that are not used for service delivery, as this diverts funds from frontline service delivery. If the site were to be declared surplus to health requirements by the clinical commissioning group and NHS England, the process is to place the property on the ePIMS Surplus Land Register, when other Government bodies can register an interest to purchase the property. If no interest is registered, the property will be sold on the open market as expediently as possible to minimise holding costs to the system. Proceeds from any disposal would be re-invested in National Health Service facilities. Best price and terms upon disposal remain important factors, but, given the listed status of the building, any purchaser would be required to comply with applicable regulations. NHSPS has not been made aware of any formal application to register the site as an Asset of Community Value at this time. If any is received, NHSPS would fulfil its obligations in dealing with that application.

Department of Health: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not categorise individual contracts into those named in the question.

NHS: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the capital requirements for the NHS for the next three years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The capital budget for the Department - the majority of which is accounted for by capital spending in National Health Service organisations - was set for the years 2016-17 to 2020-21 at the last Spending Review. This was based upon assessments of capital requirements across the Department’s budgets in meeting Government objectives. The capital budget was set as £4.81 billion for each of the five years of the Spending Review period. Further details can be found at the link below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-and-autumn-statement-2015-documentsAssessment of demands against, and prioritisation of, this overall capital budget is a continuous process, drawing upon national and local level plans and processes. This includes the Sustainability and Transformation Plan process. In the 2017 Spring Budget the Government recognised that delivery of these plans to transform clinical services for patients will require additional capital investment and announced additional funding of £325 million over the next three years - over and above the original budget set in the Spending Review - to support the most robust and advanced plans. Recognising the particular pressures facing accident and emergency (A&E) departments, the Spring Budget also announced an additional £100 million to the NHS in England in 2017-18 for capital investment in A&E departments.

NHS Professionals: Privatisation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential savings of privatising NHS Professionals.

Mr Philip Dunne: In November 2016, the Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (the Company). The Department concluded that the Company requires significant investment to enable it to expand and also greater private sector expertise in areas such as business - development, so it can deliver improved services to even more National Health Service trusts and reduce their reliance on expensive agency staff – the bill for which is currently £3 billion annually, which diverts resources that could be better used for substantive staffing and improved patient care. We are currently in commercial negotiations and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage on potential savings or other matters connected to the sale process should that go ahead. A further announcement will be made in due course.

NHS

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what legal advice he has received on adherence by his Department, NHS bodies, private and voluntary sector providers and local authorities to the NHS constitution.

Mr Philip Dunne: By law, the Secretary of State for Health, National Health Service bodies, private and voluntary sector providers supplying NHS services, local authorities exercising public health functions, and Health Education England must have regard to the NHS Constitution in their decisions and actions. The annually published mandate to NHS England also makes clear that the NHS should always provide the best care for everyone wherever they are and whenever they need it, in line with the NHS Constitution. NHS England is held to account for delivery of the mandate throughout the year, culminating with the Secretary of State’s annual statutory assessment of its performance which is laid in Parliament. As required by the Health Act 2009, we will be publishing a report on the effectiveness of the NHS Constitution in 2018.

NHS: Job Satisfaction

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NHS trusts on workforce morale.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not received any representations from National Health Service trusts on workforce morale. Staff morale, as measured by staff engagement scores in the NHS Staff Survey, is at its highest level since first recorded in 2012. However, the Government is not complacent and recognises the variation in staff morale across different types of NHS organisations and staff groups. That is why we are proposing to do more to improve working conditions for NHS staff, including helping trusts become “employers of choice” by offering more flexible working, improving staff health and wellbeing, tackling bullying and violence against NHS staff. This will complement the work ongoing across the NHS, championed by NHS England, to ensure staff are better supported.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the extra funding being made available for the NHS in Northern Ireland as part of the Conservative Party's agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any meetings on the topic of extra funding for the National Health Service in Northern Ireland as part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

NHS Trusts: EU Nationals

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NHS trusts on the recruitment of EU nationals since 23 June 2016.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from NHS trusts on the residency rights of EU nationals.

Mr Philip Dunne: My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State holds regular discussions with all National Health Service trusts throughout the year on a broad range of issues, including workforce. The Secretary of State is committed to ensuring that the NHS and social care system have the nurses, midwives, doctors, carers and other health professionals that it needs.On Monday 26 June the Government published “The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union: safeguarding the position of EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU”. The policy paper outlines how the Government intends to protect the rights of EU27 citizens in the United Kingdom and UK nationals in the EU. As Brexit negotiations continue the Department and its arm’s length bodies will continue to support the health system’s preparation for Brexit to ensure the NHS is able to deliver the services that patients rely on. The Department is undertaking analysis of overall staffing levels across the NHS as a result of Britain’s exit from the EU and the future immigration system, as part of our workforce planning.

Agency Nurses

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many registered nurses are working solely through bank or agency arrangements.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Digital collects data on headcount nurse and health visitor bank staff in the National Health Service trusts and clinical commissioning groups who are paid through Electronic Staff Records (ESR). Latest data shows that 12,358 (headcount) nurse and health visitor staff are solely employed as Bank staff at March 2017. Information on Agency staff and Bank staff not paid through ESR is not available.

NHS England: Legal Costs

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much NHS England has spent on legal fees in each of the last three years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The available data on NHS England’s spend on legal fees in each of the last three financial years (FY) is set out below. NHS England legal spend over the past three financial years.  FY 2014/15FY 2015/16FY2016/17Central Legal Budget spend4,714,2123,914,3843,798,795Programmes Legal spend** 253,183864,492Total4,714,2124,167,5674,663,287 Notes: NHS England has two sources of legal spend: (1) the central legal budget, which covers the day to day legal business of NHS England; and, (2) programme budgets. *During 2015/16, the finance system used by NHS England changed. Before this, the system used a generic code for all professional fees so data specifically on legal spend is not available for the full three year period. All legal spend in the central legal budget can be identified as set out above.

NHS: Drugs

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on obtaining authorisations for new drugs of the UK withdrawing from the European Medicines Agency.

Steve Brine: The extent to which European Medicines Agency procedures will apply in the United Kingdom after we have exited the European Union will be subject to negotiations. Whatever the outcome of negotiations, the Government will ensure that we have a regulatory system that protects the best interests of patients – without regulatory delay in the approval of new medicines - and encourages innovation.

Ambulance Services: Insurance

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the insurance industry about ambulance service community first responders who are refused insurance when they reach the age of 70; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: There have been no meetings with the Secretary of State for Health and the insurance industry about this issue. Indemnity cover for National Health Service organisations is primarily provided by NHS Resolution through the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, the Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme (LTPS) and the Property Expenses Scheme. All NHS ambulance trusts are members of these schemes. LTPS typically covers employers’ and public liability claims from NHS staff, patients and members of the public and in general, there are no age limits to the benefits provided. The one exception is the Personal Accident Benefit, payable in claims relating to serious bodily injury, which is currently limited to staff and volunteers under 70 years of age, although all exceptions are subject to regular review. This exception does not affect the rights of individuals to bring a claim of negligence should they suffer injury or loss in the course of their duties.

Wantage Community Hospital

Mr Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the future of Wantage Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: There has been no correspondence received since 1 May 2015 about Wantage Hospital by the Department’s Ministerial correspondence unit. Additionally, no meetings have been held by Ministers on this issue.

Royal Brompton Hospital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential cost of (a) transferring staff and services and (b) expanding provision in other hospitals as a result of the proposal to close congenital heart diseases services at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

Mr Philip Dunne: No decision has been made to close the congenital heart disease service at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. NHS England will make a decision on its proposals for changes to adult and children’s congenital heart services in England following consultation. It has worked, and will continue to work, with providers and other stakeholders to assess the impact of these proposals. The process to date has included workforce and cost estimates where possible. Initial work on capital implications has been undertaken and is published on NHS England’s consultation hub along with impact assessments for individual hospitals potentially affected by the proposed changes.

Health Professions: Civil Proceedings

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs and doctors have been sued by patients in each of the last five years; and what the cost to the public purse was of settlements relating to those cases.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not hold the information on general practitioner (GP) clinical negligence litigation claims brought against GPs. GPs mainly buy their indemnity cover from one of the three private not-for-profit Medical Defence Organisations. They offer indemnity cover to all doctors for any private work, good Samaritan acts, and for representation for professional regulatory issues. They also provide clinical negligence cover relating to National Health Service work. Indemnity for clinical negligence claims brought against employed GPs, doctors and all NHS staff in England is provided by the employer organisation. All NHS providers of care are members of NHS Resolution’s (NHSR) Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) and claims for compensation will ordinarily be brought against the NHS care provider organisation. The data provided below contains information on payments made in year under NHSR CNST scheme over the past five years. Type2011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16 £000£000£000£000£000Compensation£775,159£783,967£729,237£671,564£862,841Claimant legal Costs£254,784£261,262£236,938£274,539£399,902Defence legal Costs£65,359£72,425£84,997£98,251£115,519 Further information regarding payments for compensation and legal costs made against individual NHS care provider organisations over the last five years can also be found on NHS Resolution’s website at:http://www.nhsla.com/Pages/Publications.aspx?library=currentactivity%7cfactsheets%7cfactsheet5trustandhealthauthorityclaimsdata

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people responded to consultations organised by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group on its proposed multi-specialty community provider; and what assessment has been made of the content of those responses.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on the number of meetings Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group held with trades unions on the proposed multi-speciality community provider; and what the response was from trades unions in those meetings.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how staff were consulted by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group on the proposed multi-speciality community provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from the Dudley Group of Hospitals on Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group's contract for a multi-speciality community provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has kept the public informed of the proposed multi-specialty community provider; and what public representations that group has received in response to that proposal.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group consulted secondary and other care providers on its plans for a multi-speciality community provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms there will be for public involvement in the running of the multi-specialty community provider proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group.

Steve Brine: The Department expects clinical commissioning groups (CCG) to assure themselves that they have satisfied their legal duties, including the need to consult local populations. In line with this, Dudley CCG undertook a full public consultation last summer to inform the development of the Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP) contract. NHS England has told us that the consultation exercise reached several thousand people (including staff) and received over 600 contributions. A report was commissioned from ICF Consulting Services on the consultation process and considered by Dudley CCG Board in September 2016. A copy of the report is available on the CCG’s website:www.dudleyccg.nhs.uk/mcpconsult The local consultation followed a significant period of involvement with local people. In partnership with Healthwatch Dudley, Dudley CCG visited over 50 community groups. Dudley CCG have a patient representative on the Procurement Board, a group of representatives who have helped to shape the procurement questions and the CCG will continue to engage with them as they move through competitive dialogue. Dudley CCG has held regular staff briefings, with staff of all of the main organisations involved (including some staff representatives), over a period of several months. There is a further series of staff engagement events planned, with leaders across health and care giving presentations on what the MCP will mean. Further engagement has taken place with a range of local providers, including those outside Dudley which serve Dudley patients, and local voluntary sector bodies. All local providers, including the local hospital and mental health trust, are members of Partnership Board which has have developed the model of care for the MCP. The MCP Project Board reports on a monthly basis to Dudley CCG’s public Board meeting. Reports have been made to the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The issue features as a regular item at the CCG’s Healthcare Forum. Dudley CCG expects the MCP to operate in line with public service and National Health Service values. It will be expected to meet in public; be open and transparent; have effective means of securing patient and public involvement; and engage with the Council, the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as well as local communities and the voluntary sector. Before substantive service change can occur, we have been clear that there should be public consultation. NHS England has processes in place to ensure this. The Government has been clear that all significant service changes have to pass include an ability to demonstrate strong public and patient engagements. To date the Secretary of State for Health has received no representations from the Dudley Group of Hospitals on Dudley CCG’s contract for an MCP. The Government has set clear guidelines and tests to ensure that any significant reconfigurations have demonstrated strong public and patient engagements. Furthermore, those changes must be backed by a clear clinical evidence base and a credible plan to improve performance without affecting patient care. NHS England has processes in place to ensure this.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on the financial viability of Russells Hall Hospital of the multi-speciality community provider proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group commissioning work from a different hospital.

Steve Brine: Decisions about local services should be made as close to patients as possible. General practitioners, as part of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), are best placed to co-ordinate the commissioning of high quality care for their patients. They ensure that commissioning decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local health care needs. This includes responsibility for carrying out the procurement and assessing the impact on other providers in that CCG geography. Dudley CCG has made this assessment in conjunction with Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, including Russells Hall Hospital. Commissioners have the freedom and autonomy to take responsibility for meeting the needs of local patients and the public by working closely with secondary care, other health and care professionals and with community partners to design integrated services. In November 2016 NHS England and NHS Improvement published details of a new Integrated Support and Assurance Process (ISAP). The dual purpose of the ISAP is to guide the work of local commissioners and providers in creating successful and safe schemes and provide a means of assurance that this has happened. The ISAP process will test whether the contract will deliver value for money over the full duration of that contract, including the impact on the wider health economy. The Government set clear guidelines and tests to ensure that any significant reconfigurations have demonstrated strong public and patient engagements, as well as a clear clinical evidence base and a credible plan to improve performance without affecting patient care. NHS England has processes in place to ensure this.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to ensure that the contract for Dudley's multi-specialty community provider will not be awarded to an overseas or off-shore provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on not allowing bids for Dudley's new multi-speciality community provider from particular countries or organisations; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has advertised the contract for the multi-speciality community provider abroad.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the plans are for the ownership model of the new company which wins the contract for Dudley's multi-specialty community provider contract in the event that that contract is won by the local GP consortium.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the body awarded the contract for Dudley's multi-specialty community provider will be able to dispose of that contract to a third party during the course of the contract.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, who will make the decision on which organisation bidding for Dudley's multi-specialty community provider is awarded the contract.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria will be in place to judge the effectiveness of Dudley's multi-specialty community provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the governance arrangements will be for the multi-speciality community provider proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group.

Steve Brine: Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is solely responsible for carrying out the procurement, including the agreement of the award criteria, selection process and evaluation, and award of the contract. The commissioner can design the award criteria to reflect the service being contracted. The criteria for Dudley Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP) can be viewed in the comprehensive outcomes framework which is available on Dudley CCG’s website. CCGs must be compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR 2015). This includes running a procurement process that is equal and transparent, which means that commissioners cannot discriminate against, or in favour of, bidders on the grounds of geographic location. PCR 2015 also requires that contracts for clinical services with a lifetime cost over the £589,148 threshold must be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union. It will be for bidding providers to determine the ownership model of that provider. Neither the advert nor the criteria should specify the organisational form of the body that will be awarded the contract, and the precise arrangements will not be known until bids have been received and reviewed. Local areas will need to work through the trade-offs between: - the degree of formal integration they want to achieve and the strength of governance and decision making required for implementation of the model; and- their appetite for change and the pace at which they are able to proceed. Any holder of the MCP contract, regardless of organisational form, will be required in to be work closely with local stakeholders, including local general practitioners to deliver the care model.In November 2016 NHS England and NHS Improvement published details of a new Integrated Support and Assurance Process (ISAP). The dual purpose of the ISAP is to guide the work of local commissioners and providers in creating successful and safe schemes, and to provide a means of assurance that this has happened. The ISAP process will test the ability of the provider to deliver the contract. The contract can only be awarded once all stages of the ISAP have been completed. Once awarded, the contract can only be disposed of to a third party with the approval of the CCG and they may require any replacing provider to provide a guarantee from its parent or another party as a condition of the approval.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what changes would be made to the contracts for GPs involved in the GP consortium bidding for the Dudley multi-specialty community provider contract in the event that that consortium won that contract.

Steve Brine: The new Multispeciality Community Provider (MCP) contract will be between Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) as commissioner and the MCP as a provider, rather than with individual general practitioners (GP) or GP practices. The MCP model opens up the prospect of a wider set of options for how GPs can relate to the National Health Service. During procurement GPs will negotiate how they will work with the MCP to deliver services and whether (and how) they might choose to share in financial incentives. Of the many possible options, one includes participating GPs leaving their current contractual arrangements by suspending their current contract for a specified period of time. Doing so would allow the MCP to provide primary medical services to the relevant patient list while enabling GPs to take a full part in the MCP arrangement. We are discussing with NHS England proposals to enable this and expect arrangements will be in place before the Dudley MCP contract goes live. The terms on which GPs do so would be a matter for local discussion.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether people (a) serving on the board of the Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group or (b) employed by that group are permitted to submit a bid for Dudley's multi-specialty community provider.

Steve Brine: The Public Contracts Regulations (PCR 2015) prevent commissioners from discriminating against any potential bidders. Where clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are commissioning a Multispeciality Community Provider (MCP) it is likely that there will be some individuals with roles in the CCG (whether clinical or non-clinical), that also have roles within a potential provider. Any conflicts of interest must be identified and appropriately managed locally, in accordance with the published statutory guidance. It is expected that Dudley CCG, as is the case for all CCGs, should take all reasonable steps to ensure that employees, committee members, contractors and others engaged under contract with them are aware of the requirement to inform the CCG of any conflicts of interest. All CCGs have a statutory duty to follow this guidance and ensure that any person involved in making a decision on the contract award for the MCP has no pecuniary interest in the MCP. The commissioner is solely responsible for carrying out the procurement, including the agreement of the award criteria, selection process and evaluation and award of the contract.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what management tools Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has used in the forecasting of income over the life of the contract for the multi-specialty community provider proposed by that group; what assumptions were made in that forecasting; and what the conclusions of that forecasting were.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential costs to Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group of changes resulting from the establishment of the new  multi-speciality community provider.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what previous experience the management of Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has of tendering contracts worth up to £5.5 billion.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what management tools the Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (DCCG) has used to forecast demand over the life of the contract for the multi-speciality community provider proposed by DCCG; and what that forecast is.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what management tools Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has used in forecasting the effect of new models of care and contracting on the financial stability of secondary care under the multi-speciality community provider proposed by that CCG; and what the conclusions produced by those management tools were.

Steve Brine: The Dudley team managing this contract consists of staff representing the disciplines of commissioning, procurement, contracting, finance and analytics. The team has sought appropriate external expert advice in relation to public health, law, governance, procurement and finance. In addition, the team is part of the intensive support programme provided by NHS England which was set up to support the commissioning of new care models and to design the new standard National Health Service contract for this purpose. This is a long-term contract designed to bring services together into one population-based arrangement that will focus on delivering long-term outcome improvements for the population that are sustainable. Dudley is using this new national contract. The capacity and capability of the team was tested during Checkpoint 1 of the NHS England/NHS Improvement Integrated Support and Assurance Process (ISAP) and green rated. The ISAP was established specifically to deal with complex and novel procurements of this nature. Their actions will be further tested at Checkpoints 2 and 3 of the ISAP in order to ensure that the process they have gone through is sound and that a sustainable contract is established. Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has made no specific estimate of the costs of changes resulting from the establishment of the new Multispecialty Community Provider. However Dudley CCG currently holds in excess of 170 contracts. This number will be reduced substantially with a consequential reduction in the associated transaction costs. As part of the commissioning process, we would expect commissioners (and providers where appropriate) to have forecast the Whole Population Budget (WPB) value for the duration of the contract. These forecast values should take account of expected future cost and activity pressures, for example anticipated changes in population size, demographics as well as inflation in health and care provision costs (as reflected in national planning assumptions). NHS England will be publishing documentation to support commissioners in forecasting WPB values for the duration of the contract. Dudley CCG has conducted its own financial modelling. Commissioners then need to assure themselves that these plans are balanced, affordable within commissioner allocation constraints, and result in a WPB that reinforces the sustainability of the wider local health and care system. The method used to develop budget projections should be transparently recorded, recognising that this information may need to be shared for future procurement activities and contract documentation.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what arrangements are being made for NHS staff who do not wish to transfer to new arrangements under the multi-specialty community provider proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether TUPE provisions will be maintained for all staff transferred to the multi-speciality community provider proposed by Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group.

Steve Brine: As part of the consultation process, Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have held a series of events with professionals working for local health providers in order to ensure their perspectives on the Multispecialty Community Provider (MCP) were also captured. These included sessions with staff from Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, governors from the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, and a group of local general practitioners. In addition, deep-dive events were also conducted with local clinicians. In total, approximately 80 staff attended these events. Where staff roles fall under the services in scope of the MCP contract, and that contract is awarded to a new provider, staff may transfer under TUPE regulations. Existing employers have a duty to engage and consult with the staff on any possible transfer. Under TUPE, any employees that are transferred to a new employer will be able to retain their job role, their terms and conditions of employment, and their continuity of service.

Health Services: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the size and type of workforce required by Dudley's multi-speciality community provider.

Steve Brine: The Secretary of State is committed to ensuring that the National Health Service and social care system have the nurses, midwives, doctors, carers and other health professionals that it needs. The Department has a detailed understanding of how many EU27 staff work in the NHS and regular discussions are held with the Home Secretary and Cabinet colleagues to ensure that this informs our plans for the workforce and the Government’s negotiations with the European Union. On Monday 26 June the Government published “The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union: safeguarding the position of EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU”. The policy paper outlines how the Government intends to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU. As Brexit negotiations continue, the Department and its arm’s length bodies will continue to support the health system’s preparation for Brexit to ensure the NHS is able to deliver the services that patients rely on. As part of our workforce planning, the Department is undertaking analysis of overall staffing levels across the NHS as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU and the future immigration system. We would expect Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to have taken account of the size and type of workforce required by the Multi-speciality Community Provider and as with all CCGs this will be considered as part of the work we are doing.

Radiotherapy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which hospitals in England are allowed to use stereotactic radiosurgery to treat cerebral arteriovenous malformations and trigeminal neuralgia.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, prior to 2016, which hospitals in England used stereotactic radiosurgery to treat cerebral arteriovenous malformations and trigeminal neuralgia.

Steve Brine: A procurement process was completed in 2016 that resulted in 17 services being commissioned in England to deliver Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Radiotherapy (SRS/RT) treatments to patients with less complex clinical indications. Two of these services were also commissioned to deliver SRS/RT to rarer and more complex conditions, including cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and trigeminal neuralgia. The two providers are Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which takes referrals from neurosurgical centres in the north of England, and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which takes referrals from neurosurgical centres in the south of England. These conditions constitute a very small number of patients and the treatment requires specialist clinical expertise. Prior to 2016, although the majority of patients were receiving their SRS treatments in Sheffield, some individual centres were also treating very small numbers of these types of patients. The national review of this service was undertaken in order to ensure delivery of high-quality services.This resulted in the commissioning of two national centres, protecting and concentrating clinical expertise in the management of these rarer cases. In 2013-14 the contracted NHS England providers of SRS/RT were: - Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge;- Bupa Cromwell, London;- Derriford Hospital, Plymouth;- Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex;- Nova Healthcare/ Leeds Teaching Hospitals;- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals;- Royal Preston Hospital, Lancashire;- Salford Royal Hospital, Salford/ The Christie, Manchester;- St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London;- Thornbury Gamma Knife Centre, Sheffield;- The Walton Centre, Liverpool/Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Wirral;- University Hospital Birmingham;- University Hospital Bristol. Some of these centres would have provided treatments for AVMs and trigeminal neuralgia.

Measles: Vaccination

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current immunisation rate for measles is; and what steps he is taking to improve coverage of that immunisation.

Steve Brine: Protection against measles is provided in the combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), offered to children at the age of one year, and three years four months but always remains available as a catch up vaccination.The latest quarterly Cover of Vaccination Evaluated Rapidly uptake data can be found on the Public Health England (PHE) website, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cover-of-vaccination-evaluated-rapidly-cover-programme-2016-to-2017-quarterly-data England coverage of the first dose of MMR vaccine at five years continues to exceed the World Health Organization target of 95%. In November 2016 a measles and rubella elimination strategy group was established to oversee the development of a United Kingdom-wide Measles and Rubella elimination strategy. PHE and NHS England work closely with providers at a local level to target specific communities where uptake of the MMR vaccine is known to be poor, as well as widening access by commissioning a range of alternative providers to complement existing general practitioner activities and community health service delivered immunisations.

NHS Shared Business Services

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will review NHS payroll service contracts held by Shared Business Services.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Shared Business Services Ltd (SBS) is a joint venture company owned by the Department and Sopra Steria. It contracts with National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts and other NHS bodies to provide a range of services including finance and accounting services, procurement and human resources and payroll services. SBS wins contracts from NHS bodies by demonstrating value for money in its service offerings to them and we have no plans to review the payroll services carried out by the Company.

Nurses: Training

Liz McInnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of comments by the vice-chancellors of Worcester University and of West of England University that no new money has been made available to fund the promised 10,000 new training places for nurses after the abolition of nurse bursaries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Government remains committed to reforming nursing, midwifery and allied health pre-registration education and increasing the number of places available for students so that two in three nursing applicants are no longer turned down for a place; at the same time ensuring these students have more cash available to them while they study. As a result, we expect these reforms to enable universities to create up to 10,000 additional nursing and other health professional training places by 2020. Health Education England is confident that the National Health Service will have the required number of students it needs starting courses this year and will continue to work with the education sector to deliver these reforms successfully for the longer term. It should also be noted that students will continue to apply for courses up to September and through clearing. Arrangements confirming the future clinical placement model will be published in due course.

Maternity Services: Surveys

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spends on the annual You and Your Baby national survey of health care; when he plans to publish the findings of the current survey; for how long that study will be funded; and how the findings of that survey will inform the work of his Department.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department of Health-funded Policy Research Unit in Maternal Health and Care at the University of Oxford is conducting the ‘You and Your Baby’ survey. This is the first time that the survey has been run and there are currently no plans for it to be repeated annually. The total cost is approximately £490,000. The survey will run from later this year and into early 2018. The Policy Research Unit plans to report the findings in mid to late 2018. The information gained through the survey will inform policy development by building the evidence base on women’s experiences of care for her and her baby during pregnancy and the first six months after her baby’s birth.

Community Care: Liverpool

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the procedures used by NHS Improvement to select the provider for community care services in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: NHS Improvement used appropriate procedures to select the preferred provider for community services in Liverpool. As part of the assurance process that NHS Improvement undertakes for all transactions, it was identified that the transfer of Liverpool community services to Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was no longer in the best interests of patients.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fracking: Wells

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that future maintenance liabilities for abandoned or exhausted shale gas wells remain the responsibility of the operator of that well.

Richard Harrington: Each licensee (and there may be more than one for each licence) is responsible for the well. When operations finish, the licensees are responsible for safe decommissioning of the well(s) and for restoring the well-site to its previous state or a suitable condition for re-use. The central aim of the regulatory framework is to ensure wells are made safe so that they can be decommissioned with no need for on-going attention. The Health and Safety Executive scrutinises the plans for the well at the outset, including the plans for decommissioning and the operator reports to them during the decommissioning process.

Fracking

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what maintenance and inspection procedures he plans to put in place to protect underground water supplies from damage as a result of shale gas extraction.

Richard Harrington: Under section 50 of the Infrastructure Act 2015, hydraulic fracture consent will not be issued unless the my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied thirteen conditions are met. This includes an assessment of environmental impacts, independent well inspections, and groundwater monitoring. Under the Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing (Protected Areas) Regulations 2016, hydraulic fracturing is prohibited in “protected groundwater source areas” (SPZ1s), which are areas close to drinking water sources where there is the greatest risk associated with groundwater contamination. The environmental regulator (the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, or Natural Resources Wales) has the power to require baseline monitoring of those environmental indicators it considers appropriate and for the lengths of time that it deems suitable for each given site. This may include monitoring of soil, air, surface water and groundwater for a range of pollutants. The regulator assesses this based on the characteristics of each site, applying the regulator’s own expert judgment rather than adopting a blanket approach. The environmental regulator will not permit the use of hazardous substances, as defined by the Water Framework Directive and the Groundwater Directive, for any activity including hydraulic fracturing where these substances might enter groundwater and cause pollution.

Fracking

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive are adequately resourced to monitor permitted shale gas operations.

Richard Harrington: The Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency have sufficient specialist inspectors to deliver the regulatory regime they are responsible for. The resources required will be kept under review.

Wind Power

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his Department's policy is on permitting on-shore wind installations to form part of or entire bids for Contracts for Difference in order to supply electricity to the National Grid at a set price for a number of years in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales during this Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 03 July 2017



No decisions have yet been taken on permitting on-shore wind installations to form part of or entire bids for Contracts for Difference. As our manifesto commitment states, we support the development of wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities. We will announce our plans regarding this commitment in due course.

Climate Change Convention: USA

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials of his Department have had with counterparts in the US on the effect of President Trump's decision to remove the US from the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Claire Perry: My Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to the US President following his decision to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, expressing her disappointment with the decision and stressing that the UK remained committed to the Paris Agreement, as she set out at the G7 Leaders’ Summit. The Department is in frequent contact with the US Administration, including on issues related to climate change. We will continue to work with the US to encourage them to show the leadership they have in the past on reducing carbon emissions. The Paris Agreement is irreversible and its integrity is key for the security and prosperity of our planet, societies and economies.

Wind Power: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has in relation to onshore island wind farms in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 03 July 2017



As our manifesto commitment states, we support the development of wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland, where they will directly benefit local communities. We will announce our plans regarding this commitment in due course.

Renewable Energy

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to increase the use of wind power and solar energy for electricity generation.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 03 July 2017



To increase the use of renewables for electricity generation, we have launched a second Contract for Difference allocation round for emerging technologies, which includes offshore wind. This auction is expected to take place in August with results being announced in September. No decisions have been taken on future Contract for Difference allocation rounds for onshore wind, solar and other established renewable technologies. We will set out details in due course. The Feed-in Tariff also remains open to small scale low carbon technologies such as wind power and solar photovoltaic.

Natural Gas: Imports

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the levels of gas imports into the UK were by country of origin in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Richard Harrington: The table below illustrates the latest published data for the last 12 months (May 2016 to April 2017) outlining the origin of gas imports into the UK rounded to the nearest 100.  GWhCountryGas imports May 2016 - April 2017Norway371,900Qatar93,400Netherlands29,500Belgium28,300Algeria5,500Others2,900Total531,500 The above table includes imports via pipeline and shipments of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Imports of natural gas by origin are published monthly in Energy Trends Table 4.4 on the BEIS section of the GOVUK website at this address: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/622757/ET_4.4.xls

Natural Gas: Storage

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish correspondence and records of telephone conversations between Centrica and his Department on the viability of the Rough gas storage facility.

Richard Harrington: Officials and I have regular discussions with industry on a range of topics, which in many cases are commercially confidential. As the Hon. Member is aware, Centrica Storage Ltd announced on 20 June 2017 that it intends to close the Rough gas storage facility following a programme of testing the injection wells and an assessment of the future commercial viability of the asset.

Small Businesses: Scotland

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support small business growth in Scotland.

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support micro-enterprises in East Renfrewshire constituency.

Margot James: Support for businesses in Scotland is largely a devolved matter, and https://www.mygov.scot/business/ provides advice to people starting, running and growing a business, including a section on funding and grants in Scotland. In addition, British Business Bank (BBB) programmes are supporting finance to smaller businesses. As at end of December 2016, BBB programmes were supporting over £1.4m* to small businesses in East Renfrewshire. This includes 33 start-up loans totalling over £170,000.Alongside designing and delivering programmes through its partners, the British Business Bank works to promote the provision of better information in the market to increase smaller businesses’ understanding of the finance options available to them. The Business Finance Guide (http://www.thebusinessfinanceguide.co.uk/bbb ) sets out the different sources of finance available to businesses – from start-ups to SMEs and growing mid-sized companies.In order to support innovation by small businesses, Innovate UK awarded 99 projects to SMEs in Scotland with a commitment of £16.7 million in 2016/17.Small businesses in Scotland also benefit from UK-wide initiatives to encourage investment, for example the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme. If they have business premises, small businesses will also benefit from the Small Business Bonus Scheme and receive 100% relief on their rates bill for property valued below £10,000.*this does not include ENABLE funding data as this is not available at a constituency level

Hinkley Point C Power Station: Compensation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the total compensation payable to the NNB Generation Company in the event of the shutdown of the Hinkley Point C project due to the existing Secretary of State Investor Agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 04 July 2017



Under the Secretary of State Investor Agreement (SOSIA) the total compensation payable to the NNB Generation Company in the event of the shutdown of the Hinkley Point C project is set down in the Departmental Minute* laid before Parliament on 21 October 2015. This explains: Under the SOSIA, in certain, highly unlikely, scenarios e.g. HMG permanently prevents the construction or operation of the facility or a reactor or where there is a political shut down of HPC by a UK, EU or international Competent Authority, payments could be up to around £22bn excluding non-decommissioning operational costs that may be incurred after any shutdown. However, the liability to make payments under the SOSIA is almost entirely within the control of HMG. *http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/425357%5Coriginal%5C20151021%20Minute%20to%20Parliament%20HPC%20contingent%20liabilities.docx

Living Wage

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the average annual pay rise for the lowest earners has been since the national living wage was introduced.

Margot James: In April 2016 the Government introduced a new National Living Wage which applies to all workers aged 25 and over. This brought about the largest ever annual increase of 10.8% in the main rate of the minimum wage.On 1 April 2017 the Government further increased the National Living Wage by more than the rate of inflation; supporting real pay rises for 1.7 million of the lowest paid workers. The National Living Wage was increased in annual terms by 4.2% from £7.20 to £7.50.In April 2017, the Government also implemented real terms increases in the National Minimum Wage rates applicable to those aged below 25. The pay rates of an estimated 405,000 workers were increased as follows in annual terms;- Adult rate for 21 to 24 year olds by 3.2% from £6.95 to £7.05;- Development rate for 18 to 20 year olds by 3.1% from £5.55 to £5.60;- Youth rate for 16 to 17 year olds by 2.8% from £4.00 to £4.05; and- Apprentice rate by 4.5% from £3.40 to £3.50.

Trading Standards: Finance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute Workforce Survey, June 2016, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes in budgets for local authority trading standards services on the delivery of trading standards services across the UK.

Margot James: Funding and prioritisation for trading standards are decisions for local authorities – accountable to local communities and the people they serve.Government recognises that consumer protection goes beyond local authority boundaries, and therefore provides £15m per year for coordinated Trading Standards activity in the UK.

Tidal Lagoons Independent Review

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for his Department to complete its assessment of the recommendations in the Hendry Review on the role of tidal lagoons, published in December 2016.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 04 July 2017



The Government is currently assessing the recommendations of the Hendry Review and will publish a response in due course.

Holiday Leave

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of 27 June 2017, Official Report, columns 457-8W, on workers' rights, what powers the Government has made available to HM Revenue and Customs to sanction companies withholding employees' paid holiday allowance; and on how many occasions such powers have been used.

Margot James: HM Revenue and Customs has no powers to sanction companies for withholding holiday pay.However, HM Revenue and Customs plays a vital role in enforcing the National Minimum Wage and the Government has continued to strengthen enforcement action in this area.More broadly, the Government has asked Matthew Taylor to consider new forms of work such as the ‘gig economy’ and self-employment, and their implications on employee rights and responsibilities, employer freedoms and obligations, and the existing regulatory framework surrounding employment.

Ministry of Defence

Ruth Davidson

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what formal processes were followed by 32 Signal Regiment relating to the offer of the rank of Colonel to Ruth Davidson MSP; and if he will place all correspondence on that offer and acceptance of that rank in the Library.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many honorary ranks have been accepted by civilians across all the armed forces in the last five years.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether ministerial permission or agreement is required prior to the (a) offer and (b) confirmation of an honorary rank to a civilian.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many honorary ranks have been offered to civilians across all the armed forces in the last five years.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what guidance the Government provides to senior military personnel on the offer of an honorary rank to a civilian.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the process is for offering to a civilian an honorary rank within each branch of the armed services.

Mark Lancaster: All three Services grant Honorary Rank to civilians for the sole purpose of enabling them to fill Honorary Appointments (normally with the Reserve or Cadet Forces), or for other business purposes of the Service. Each Service appoints individuals who can act as advocates on a local or national level; or whose appointment may otherwise benefit the unit or organisation with which they are associated. The granting of Honorary Rank is not to be seen as a reward and all three Services take care to ensure that appointments have not been made solely on the basis of personal or professional acquaintance or friendship. All Honorary appointments in each Service are approved by Buckingham Palace. The process for appointing Honorary Colonels in the Army is set out in the Reserve and Land Forces Regulations which can be found at the following website: http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/RESERVE_LAND_FORCES_REGULATIONS.pdfThese regulations were followed for the appointment of Ruth Davidson MSP as the Honorary Colonel of 32 Signal Regiment. Correspondence relating to that offer and its acceptance has been placed in the Library of the House, redacted to remove personal information in accordance with data protection principles. In the Army the appointment of an individual to an Honorary Rank starts with a nomination from a Commanding Officer of, usually, a Reserve or Cadet unit which is then staffed through the Chain of Command to Military 2* level (Major General and equivalent) until it reaches the Military Secretary Honours branch (MS Hons). At this point, if the nominee is a Member of Parliament or a representative of a Devolved Administration Ministerial, agreement is sought – as is also the case in the Naval Service and the Royal Air Force. In the case of Ruth Davidson’s appointment, that agreement was sought and obtained. MS Hons then seeks The Sovereign’s approval for the appointment and the Military Secretary writes to the nominee to inform them of the appointment. In the Naval Service, the appointment of Honorary Officers is governed by the regulations in the Book of Reference 3(Vol 2) (BRd 3(2)) titled ‘Naval Personnel Management – Reserves’, Chapter 2, Section 3. BRd 3(2) is available at the following website: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/reference-library/br3vol2All appointments are to the Reserves. Nominations for Honorary Officers require Military 2* endorsement and are considered annually by the Honorary Officers Review Board which is chaired by First Sea Lord. In the Royal Air Force, guidance on Honorary Ranks is contained in Air Publication 3392 Volume 7 (to be published shortly) and for 601 Squadron it is in the Concept of Employment. All applicants are required to complete a Register of Interests and Political Activity Declaration form. The selection process for 601 Squadron may involve formal interviews, or selections may be made directly from a paper sift of candidates. Recommendations for new Honorary Appointments are made to the Chief of the Air Staff via a prioritised shortlist based on the number of vacancies available in a given year. The numbers of civilians offered an Honorary Rank in each of the Armed Forces in the last five years are set out below. All individuals accepted the offer.  Naval ServiceArmyRoyal Air Force201359Information not held2014611Information not held2015510Information not held201609242017 (to 28 June)2329 



1374 - Ruth Davidson MSP Appointment to Colonel
(PDF Document, 1.44 MB)




1374 - Ruth Davidson MSP Appointment to Colonel
(PDF Document, 33.05 KB)

Defence Equipment: Cybercrime

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK military technology is protected from cyber attacks.

Mark Lancaster: We take the growing threat of cyber attacks on our networks, systems and technology extremely seriously, and are taking action to defend against increasingly sophisticated attacks. Our systems are regularly targeted by criminals, foreign intelligence services and other malicious actors seeking to exploit Ministry of Defence (MOD) personnel, disrupt MOD business and operations, corrupt our systems and steal information. This is not unique to the MOD; other Government Departments and businesses are also affected.In October 2016 we announced that the UK will invest £265 million to boost the defence of military cyber systems. This investment, supporting the new Cyber Vulnerability Investigations programme, will help the MOD better understand the cyber risks to our military equipment and systems. This will complement the £40 million investment into the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), enhancing our ability to secure Defence networks and systems against cyber threats.Building on pioneering MOD science and technology, the MOD has completed cyber vulnerability investigations for a range of Defence systems and platforms, and is successfully mainstreaming the process into its ways of working.

Cybercrime

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated to UK cyber security in each of the last five years.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has significantly increased the funding invested in cyber security for Defence over the last five years. In the 2015-2020 spending review period, MOD's total commitment to cyber security programmes and capabilities is approximately £2.5 billion.The MOD does not tackle the technical issues of cyber security in isolation: our approach to cyber security spans technical, organisational, procedural, policy and physical measures. As investment is integrated across all of these areas, and across different teams within MOD, it is not possible to give a figure purely for UK cyber security. However, I can provide examples of the investments the MOD has been making in cyber over the last five years.In July 2013, we announced that the MOD had allocated £70 million from the Defence budget for improving cyber security capabilities over four years.In July 2014, the Prime Minister announced a package of investment in equipment for our Armed Forces, which included £75 million over four years specifically for cyber defence.In 2015, the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review made clear that cyber security remains a national priority and made clear Defence's roles in cyberspace. £1.9 billion was pledged to deliver the National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) over the Spending Review period (2015-2020).In 2016, over £40 million was allocated for the Cyber Security Operations Centre. This is a dedicated facility staffed by experts that utilises state-of-the-art defensive cyber capabilities to protect the MOD's cyberspace from malicious actors. A further £265 million is being invested in a pioneering approach to root out cyber vulnerabilities within our military platforms and wider cyber dependent systems.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any use of military force against the Syrian Government would require a vote in the House before military action took place; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Michael Fallon: The Government has no plans for a new Parliamentary vote on military action to prevent the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We continue to support appropriate actions with our US allies to prevent their use.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (a) how many and (a) what proportion of houses of multiple occupation were registered under the mandatory HMO licensing scheme in each year since its introduction.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 27 June 2017



As at 31 March 2016, local authorities provided the Department with estimate numbers of total mandatory licensable Housi (HMOs) at 63,950. The actual number of properties which have been issued a mandatory HMO licence is 40,970. Therefore, the current proportion is 65 per cent.Measures within the Housing and Planning Act 2016 provide further help to local authorities in identifying mandatory licensable HMOs and tackling rogue landlords avoiding licensing by providing access to information held by the Tenancy Deposit protection schemes.The figures for the proportion of HMOs licensed for previous years are available since 2011, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-housing-data

Department for Communities and Local Government: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department’s Contract Records show that we have awarded the following number of contracts over £10,000 to charities and social enterprises for the period requested. The data is based on the Departmental vendors declaring themselves as charities or social enterprises when completing finance system registration details and on the basis of the start date of the contracts.Financial YearNo. of Contracts Awarded CharitiesSocial Enterprises2010-11NilNil2011-12NilNil2012-134Nil2013-14212014-15412015-161Nil2016-17Nil22017-18 ( to June 17)Nil1

Fire Prevention

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library the specification of the test that is being applied to the cladding samples provided by local authorities to his Department.

Alok Sharma: A note explaining the government building safety programme, including an explanation of the methodology being used by the Building Research Establishment to test samples of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels, has been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-note-on-safety-checks-and-testing

Local Government Finance: Fire Prevention

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what additional resources the Government plans to provide to councils for fire safety inspections.

Alok Sharma: My Department has issued advice on the interim mitigating measures landlords should implement. Cost considerations must not get in the way of making sure that residents are safe. Where work is necessary to ensure the fire safety of a building, we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent them going ahead.

Antisemitism

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle anti-Semitism.

Mr Marcus Jones: The UK is the first country in Europe to adopt formally the International Holocaust Memorial Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. The definition, although legally non-binding, is an important tool enabling criminal justice agencies and other public bodies to understand how anti-Semitism manifests itself in the 21st century. In December 2016 we published a progress report on our efforts to tackle anti-Semitism which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/anti-semitism-updateThe cross-government working group to tackle anti-Semitism ensures that we are alive to any new issues and concerns the Jewish community might have and that we can respond quickly.

Local Government: Devolution

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it remains his policy to secure devolution deals within city regions.

Jake Berry: Holding answer received on 05 July 2017



Across England we are making huge strides towards rebalancing the economy and empowering local government. On 4 May, the first six city region mayors were elected for Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, the West of England and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – representing 9.8 million people in England. We remain committed to our ambitious devolution deal with Sheffield City Region, comprising the local authority areas of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield. The mayoral election will take place in May 2018. Against this background, we intend to have early meetings with local businesses and political leaders, as it is important to agree a separate deal which includes West Yorkshire.

High Rise Flats: Fire Extinguishers

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will instruct local authorities to retrofit sprinklers in high-rise blocks and provide funding for that work.

Alok Sharma: The Department wrote to all social housing providers in 2013 following the recommendations in a Coroner’s report into firefighter deaths which occurred at Shirley Towers in Southampton in April 2010. That letter encouraged providers to consider the retrofitting of sprinklers in older residential tower blocks. The Department then reinforced the content of that letter in it’s response to the Coroner’s report into the Lakanal House Fire – a copy of which can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/205567/Annex_B_-_SoS_DCLG_Rule_43_response.pdfWhere works are necessary to ensure the fire safety of a building, we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent them going ahead.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide councils with sufficient resources to (a) conduct cladding inspections on blocks over seven storeys and (b) remove unsafe cladding.

Alok Sharma: The Government is meeting the costs of the tests required on buildings identified to have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding, although the initial costs of inspections falls to local authorities. Where works are necessary to ensure the fire safety of a building, we will ensure that lack of financial resources will not prevent them going ahead.

Scotland Office

Public Expenditure: Scotland

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he is seeking additional resources for Scotland as a result of the agreement reached between the Government and the Democratic Unionist Party on confidence and supply.

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether additional resources will be made available for Scotland under the Barnett Formula principle as a result of the agreement between the Government and the Democratic Unionist Party on confidence and supply.

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he participated in negotiations between the Government and the Democratic Unionist Party on the confidence and supply agreement reached between those two bodies.

David Mundell: This agreement will enable us to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom, give us the certainty we require as we embark on our departure from the European Union, and help us build a stronger and fairer society at home. Scotland and Wales will continue to receive direct investment from the UK Government to support growth. Since 2014, the UK Government has committed over £1bn of investment in Scotland and Wales through City Deals, and the Government is committed to further City Deals in both nations. Combined with other sources, this will unlock over £4bn of investment. As you are aware, funding for City Deals is provided in addition to the block grant and does not attract Barnett consequentials for other parts of the UK.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises since its creation.

Greg Hands: Since the creation of DIT in July 2016, one contract has been awarded to a social enterprise, the University of York. The department also has 24 contracts in place with British Chambers of Commerce which were awarded prior to July 2016. To date, no contracts have been awarded to charities.

Overseas Trade: Tunisia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Tunisia to increase bi-lateral trade.

Greg Hands: My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade is committed to supporting the UK’s bilateral trade with Tunisia. Opportunities to discuss bilateral trade, including opportunities following Brexit, at Tunisian Head of Government or Ministerial level have been taken this year by my Rt hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign Office (Tobias Ellwood MP), the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Dr Andrew Murrison MP.

China

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in China on increasing (a) bilateral trade, (b) economic partnerships between the two countries and (c) cooperation in the shipbuilding industry.

Greg Hands: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade is committed to supporting the UK’s bilateral trade and economic partnership with China and will make formal representations to his counterparts through the next annual UK – China Joint Economic and Trade Committee.The UK continues to assist China with its aim to move up the value chain, to be a world-leading ship builder. These ambitions were recognised by my hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade when he visited Shanghai in March 2017 for the UK Maritime Showcase.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many contracts put out to tender by the Government Equalities Office were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Anne Milton: Information on contracts awarded by the Government Equalities Office is only available from 2014-15, and is as shown in the table:   2014-152015-162016-17Contracts awarded by Government Equalities Office   Charities511Social Enterprises (and similar “Not for Profit” bodies) 201

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Answers of 10 June 2015, 22 December 2015 and 2 September 2016 to Questions 700, 19860 and 44313, when she plans to (a) publish the evaluation report on the pilot Access to Elected Office Fund and (b) make a decision on whether that Fund should continue.

Nick Gibb: The Access to Elected Office Fund was run by the Coalition Government between 2012 and the election of 2015. The Fund closed after that election and an evaluation was subsequently carried out. The evaluation and any decision made in the light of it will be published in due course.

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Lyn Brown: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what progress has been made on the review of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Anne Milton: We committed to a review of the Gender Recognition Act as part of our response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee report on transgender equality. Through this review we are examining options to streamline and demedicalise the gender recognition process.The review is ongoing and we will provide an update on the Government’s progress as soon as possible.

Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Mr John Hayes: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Taxis: Licensing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to give Transport for London statutory power to cap the number of private hire vehicle licences it issues.

Mr John Hayes: The Mayor, Transport for London, the police and local authorities have a range of tools available to them to deal with congestion and parking issues as well as enforcement of the licensing regime. Effective use of these tools will allow both licensed taxi and PHVs to lawfully meet the demands of London’s travelling public.

Highways England: Computer Software

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Highways England uses (a) Windows XP or (b) another Microsoft software package for any of its operating systems.

Jesse Norman: For security reasons Highways England does not reveal details of its IT operating systems. However, Highways England has made clear that it continually assesses the security risk to its systems, and puts in place all the protections it deems necessary to safeguard its networks.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Billy Irving

Paul Masterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support the appeal and (b) secure the transfer from India to Scotland of Billy Irving of Neilston, East Renfrewshire.

Mark Field: I can reassure you that we are in close contact with the legal team for Mr Irving and the other five British nationals involved in this case, in India and in the UK. We also continue to raise the case with the Indian authorities at all levels, asking that they do all they can to bring the case to a speedy conclusion, bearing in mind the impact on the six men and their families.This is an ongoing legal process and we cannot interfere in the Indian legal system, just as we would not allow another country to interfere in an ongoing court case in the United Kingdom.We have a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with India but before arrangements can be made regarding Mr Irving's transfer to Scotland, all legal proceedings must be complete and all bail and appeal applications would need to be withdrawn. This is a matter for Mr Irving.While we await a verdict in the judicial proceedings, our focus continues to be on the men's welfare and the support we can provide to their families.

Egypt: Organs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Egypt on tackling illegal organ harvesting.

Alistair Burt: ​The UK Government notes with concern the prevalence of organ trafficking in Egypt, which has been illegal in Egypt since 2010. Tackling the issue is a matter for the Egyptian authorities. However, organ harvesting can be a symptom of poverty in a society. The UK continues to help the Egyptian Government complete its programme of economic reforms and to support the population through this process. For example, we will be providing a $150 million loan guarantee in order to support these reforms.

Israel: Railways

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Israel on realising the potential rail link between Israel and Saudi Arabia via Jordan.

Alistair Burt: The British Government has not had any discussions with the Israeli authorities on this issue.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answers of 13 January 2017 to Question 58527, 1 March 2017 to Question 64848 and 23 March 2017 to Question 68141, whether his Department has made an independent assessment of any of the eight airstrikes which were investigated by the Saudi-led coalition's Joint Incident Assessment Team to ascertain whether international humanitarian law violations have occurred.

Alistair Burt: ​It is important that credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) are investigated and the Saudi-led Coalition has committed to doing this. The UK has not been directly involved in investigations undertaken by the Joint Incident Assessment Team, but has supported its development and delivered two training sessions in Saudi Arabia on the process for investigating alleged IHL violations. The UK continues to believe that the Coalition has the best insight into its own military procedures and will be able to conduct the most thorough and conclusive investigations. The Coalition has publicly stated that any lessons learned will be acted upon.

Department for International Development and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Departmental Responsibilities

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what changes in departmental structure the Government has made to promote closer working between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development.

Sir Alan Duncan: Following the General Election the Prime Minister appointed two Ministers of State, Alistair Burt and Rory Stewart, to serve across the FCO and DFID. The Ministers will develop their working practice to serve the interests of both departments and shape their priorities based on events and issues as they arise.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had any meetings with Lord Patton of Barnes in the last year to discuss (a) human rights and the state of democracy in Hong Kong and (b) the Joint British-Sino Declaration.

Mark Field: In the last year the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has not received any requests from the Rt Hon. The Lord Patten of Barnes for a meeting.

Anson Chan

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he intends to meet Anson Chan, former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, while she is visiting the UK.

Mark Field: ​Senior officials at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office plan to meet Anson Chan during her visit.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the state of democracy in Hong Kong.

Mark Field: The Foreign Secretary issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 June to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statements/) which outlined our assessment of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, as well as referencing specific concerns over its implementation. The UK continues to believe that it is in Hong Kong's best interests that discussion resumes between all parties in Hong Kong in order to make further progress towards a more democratic and accountable system of government, as provided for in the Basic Law.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Radicalism

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to ensure that aid to the Palestinian Authority is not used to promote radicalisation.

Alistair Burt: UK funding to the Palestinian Authority is only used to help to pay the salaries of health and education public servants on a vetted list. This enables around 25,000 young Palestinians to get an education, provides up to 3,700 immunisations for children, and around 185,000 medical consultations annually. UK support to the Palestinian Authority is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding, which includes the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to uphold the principle of non-violence. The UK government deplores any act of incitement to violence and does not hesitate to raise concerns with the Palestinian Authority.

UN Economic and Social Council

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the World Humanitarian Summit in advance of UN Economic and Social Council meeting in June 2017; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I, and other Ministers, have regular conversations with other donors and Heads of agencies to discuss taking forwards reform of the international system and how we can all respond better to humanitarian crises. During the course of 2017 this has included specific conversations urging countries and institutions to step up their response to the major humanitarian crises, and pushing for a reformed system which is more efficient, innovative, transparent and accountable.

Department for Education

Schools: Fire Extinguishers

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new schools have been built (a) with and (b) without a sprinkler system fitted in each year since 2010-11.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which free schools do not have a sprinkler system.

Nick Gibb: All schools must comply with strict building and fire safety regulations. It has always been the case that where a fire risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.As not all new schools are commissioned by the Department for Education we do not hold data on the number of all new schools that have been built with or without sprinklers installed.The Department holds information on schools managed centrally by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, under the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). Of the 260 schools in phase one of the PSBP, 75 schools include sprinkler systems. As schools under phase two of the PSBP are still in the early design stage, it is not yet clear which may require sprinklers at this time. Until recently, schools developed under the Free Schools programme were managed by the individual Free School proposer groups, via their appointed building contractors. Due to this, the Department does not hold information on the number of Free School buildings with and without sprinklers installed.All schools must have robust safety plans to follow in the event of a fire and have very strong safety features. This includes the fact that they are not occupied overnight and are generally low rise with multiple exit routes.

Academies: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers are available to her to improve the performance of multi-academy trusts.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers are available to her to improve the performance of academy schools.

Nick Gibb: We are committed to a school system in which all children have access to a good school place. Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible, on behalf of the Secretary of State, for holding all academies, including multi-academy trusts (MATs), to account and will intervene where necessary to bring about rapid improvement.The main triggers for RSCs taking action are concerns regarding educational performance, financial management and governance. In the first instance, RSCs will look to provide the trust that runs the academy with support to secure improvements itself – for example through diagnostic visits from education advisors or arranging school–to-school support. In serious cases, RSCs have the power to issue warning notices setting out the improvements that are required and by when. Ultimately, the Education and Adoption Act 2016 provides the Secretary of State with powers to remove an academy from a MAT where it has been allowed to fail or coast, and transfer it to a new trust.More detailed information about powers available for taking action in academies and how decisions are taken by RSCs are set out in the Schools Causing Concern Guidance and the RSCs Decision Making Framework, both of which are available on GOV.UK at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2andhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/577885/RSC_decision_making_framework_December_2016.pdf

Academies: Standards

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is to improve the performance of multi-academy trusts.

Nick Gibb: The strongest multi-academy trusts (MATs) have had a transformative effect, turning around the performance of some of the most challenging schools in the country.The Department offers a range of support to MATs to support them to be successful and to adopt the practices of the best performing. This can include: advice and guidance, peer-to-peer support, access to professional development activities, and funding.Where schools in a trust are underperforming, regional schools commissioners and their teams work with trusts on a case by case basis to determine the best course of action to secure improvement for pupils.

Regional Schools Commissioners

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools each regional schools commissioner has responsibility for.

Nick Gibb: As at 1 June 2017 the numbers of academies, free schools, studio schools and UTCs within each Regional Schools Commissioners’ (RSCs) region were as follows: RSC regionAcademyFree SchoolStudio SchoolUTCTotalEast Midlands & Humber100418351030Lancashire & West Yorkshire6355068699North3741023389North East London & East8155927883North West London & South Central8239499935South London & South East9235424983South West9492295985West Midlands8753957926Total639834638486830 RSCs also work closely and co-operatively with local authorities to support improvement in maintained schools that are causing concern.Further information on RSC responsibilities can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/schools-commissioners-group/abouthttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/510080/schools-causing-concern-guidance.pdf

Schools: Greater London

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what fire safety inspections have been carried out at schools in Lambeth and Southwark.

Nick Gibb: Fire authorities are the main agency responsible for carrying out fire safety inspections, enforcement procedures, assessing complaints and undertaking investigations. Responsibility for managing individual buildings and their compliance with fire safety requirements rest with the body responsible for the school. All school buildings must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This requires all bodies responsible for schools to appoint a responsible person who takes reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire. The Order requires schools to conduct regular termly drills, so that pupils and staff are able to evacuate quickly in the case of fire. This duty also involves carrying out a fire risk assessment, or ensuring one is carried out. A fire risk assessment includes: identifying fire hazards, considering who may be at risk, eliminating or reducing risk, providing fire precautions to deal with remaining risk, recording major findings of the risk assessment, the action taken, and reviewing the findings regularly and when necessary.

Schools: Fire Prevention

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what resources have been made available to local councils for fire safety inspections at schools in Lambeth and Southwark.

Nick Gibb: The Government is taking the potential impact from the tragic Grenfell Tower fire seriously. Building owners across the public sector estate are being contacted to ensure any risks are managed and dealt with appropriately and promptly. As part of this, we are contacting all bodies responsible for safety in schools instructing them to carry out checks to identify any buildings that may require further investigation. In the event that schools identify cladding which may be Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) the Fire and Rescue Service will be notified and they will carry out an urgent inspection. The Fire and Rescue Service are the right people to help make these judgements.

Universities: Freedom of Information

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to end the exemption of universities from Freedom of Information legislation.

Joseph Johnson: The Government has no plans to amend the application of the Freedom of Information Act to universities.

Department for Education: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many contracts put out to tender by her Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department publishes all contracts awarded that exceed £10,000 at www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. This includes contracts to Voluntary and Charitable Sector (VCS) and social enterprise organisations as well as to the private sector, but does not distinguish between them.

Schools: Fire Extinguishers

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will replace its July 2016 guidance on schools being fitted with fire sprinklers which includes the words therefore BB100 no longer includes an expectation that new school buildings will be fitted with them with guidance which makes clear that there is an expectation that all new schools will have sprinklers fitted.

Nick Gibb: There have been no changes to the fire safety laws for schools or our determination to protect children’s safety. It has always been the case, and remains the case, that where the risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.The draft revised fire safety design for schools guidance, issued as part of a technical consultation with experts from the fire sector, has not been adopted. The Department’s 2007 guidance continues to be extant. Alongside the rest of Government, the department will take forward any findings from the public inquiry into the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.

Housing: Students

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent communications the Government has had with the higher education sector on fire safety inspections of student accommodation.

Nick Gibb: The Department has written to all Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)-funded Higher Education Institutions and Alternative Providers of Higher Education to identify any student accommodation buildings that may require further investigation. We have requested that institutions flag any concerns immediately. We are also engaging with the sector directly and via key sector bodies including Universities UK and Guild HE.

Pre-school Education: Standards

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the OECD's Starting Strong 2017 report, published on 21 June 2017, what steps she is taking to improve early childhood development.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. The framework is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.The learning and development requirements are informed by the best available evidence on how children learn and reflect the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.The 2016 early years foundation stage profile results, which are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results-2015-to-2016, show that 69.3% of children achieved a good level of development (GLD) by age 5, up from 51.7% in 2013.

Grammar Schools

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2017 to Question 128, what her policy is on changes to the legal framework on selective schools over the course of this Parliament.

Nick Gibb: The Queen’s Speech set out the Government’s legislative programme for the next two years. This did not include an education bill, and there will therefore be no changes to the legal framework on selective schools.

Vaughan Primary School: Insulation

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will investigate whether the cladding installed as part of works on a new building at Vaughan Primary School in Harrow has been tested to ensure it is not combustible; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools built or extended through funding from the Education Funding Agency since 2010 have (a) had sprinkler systems fitted and (b) had cladding installed; and what steps will be taken in respect of school buildings identified as not being compliant with fire safety standards.

Nick Gibb: The Vaughan Primary School, Harrow, has been delivered by the ESFA through the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP). We have completed checks of schools delivered through this programme and confirm that the cladding on this school is not Aluminium Composite Material (ACM). The Department is undertaking an analysis of all school buildings, seeking information from all bodies responsible for schools, to identify those where external cladding has been used (and its type) for schools with four storeys or more. This exercise will cover school buildings of all ages, whether they have been funded through DfE central programmes or not.  All schools must comply with strict building and fire safety regulations. It has always been the case that where a fire risk assessment required for any new building recommends sprinklers are installed to keep children safe, they must be fitted.The Department holds information on PSBP schools as these are managed centrally by the ESFA. Of the 260 schools in phase one of the PSBP, 75 schools include sprinkler systems. As schools under phase two of the PSBP are still in the early design stage, it is not yet clear which may require sprinklers at this time.Until recently, schools developed under the Free Schools programme were managed by the individual Free School proposer groups, via their appointed building contractors. Due to this, the Department does not hold information on the number of Free School buildings with and without sprinklers installed.All schools must have robust safety plans to follow in the event of a fire and have very strong safety features in case a fire breaks out. This includes the fact that they are not occupied overnight and are generally low rise with multiple exit routes.

Schools: Admissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including in school admissions applications provision for disabled parents to give reasons for preferring a specific school.

Nick Gibb: School admission arrangements are set and applied locally. The School Admissions Code already enables admission authorities to give priority to children who have a particular social or medical need to attend their school. This could include circumstances where the parent has a disability. Where admission authorities wish to prioritise children on this basis, it must be clearly set out in their admission arrangements.

Secondary Education

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve the accountability of schools at Key Stage 3; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne to the answer published on 29 June to PQ 465.

Housing: Students

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the last fire safety inspections were undertaken in student accommodation blocks in (a) the London Borough of Southwark and (b) London.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold information on fire inspections for any student accommodation blocks. In line with the cross-Government action following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, the Department has written to all Higher Education Funding Councils For England (HEFCE)-funded Higher Education Institutions and Alternative Providers of Higher Education to identify any student accommodation buildings that may require further investigation. We have requested that institutions flag any concerns immediately. We are also engaging with the sector directly and via key sector bodies including Universities UK and Guild HE.

Headteachers: Pay

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of head teachers on salaries in excess of £150,000 per year run more than one school.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Parkfield School

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to date has been of the acquisition, adoption and repair of new premises in Hurn, Christchurch for Parkfield Free School.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The acquisition cost of the site was £3,000,000, which was assessed to be an appropriate price for the site by the EFA and its advisors.Construction costs, professional fees and ICT costs associated with the permanent site for the school are currently commercially sensitive and will be published once the project is completed.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her oral contribution of 27 June 2017, Official Report, column 487, whether her commitment that no school will have its budget cut as a result of the new national funding formula means that school budgets will be protected in (a) real terms or (b) cash terms.

Nick Gibb: We will set out the outcome of the schools national funding formula consultation in due course, including details of the protections for school budgets and allocations for each school. We remain committed to introducing a formula that is fair, while also ensuring sufficient stability across the system.

Grammar Schools

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2017 to Question 128, if her Department supports (a) the expansion of existing grammar schools and (b) the opening of satellite sites of existing grammar schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government has made clear its commitment to continue to support all good and outstanding schools to expand where there is a need for more good school places. Any proposals to expand onto a satellite site would need to demonstrate that they are an expansion of an existing school, and a decision would be made on the circumstances of each case.

Schools: Staff

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to end the public sector pay cap for school staff.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State is considering the School Teachers’ Review Body’s report and its recommendations. We will publish the report, together with our response and a draft revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document in due course.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Secretary of State for Education's oral contribution of 27 June 2017, Official Report, column 487, how much additional funding she has allocated to ensure that no school loses funding as a result of the implementation of the national funding formula for schools.

Nick Gibb: This Government will continue to work to ensure that every child has the opportunity to attend a good school and that all schools are fairly funded. The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010 and is set to rise from £41bn in 2017-18 to over £42bn in 2019-20 with increasing pupil numbers. We are considering the more than 25,000 responses we received to the National Funding Formula consultation, and will publish our response in due course.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to line 2 of table 2.1 of the Spring Budget 2017 and pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2017 to Question 128, how much of the funding for new free schools and new selective schools allocated in the 2017-18 financial year has been spent to date.

Nick Gibb: The Budget 2017 allocated additional capital funding to enable free school applications to be approved in 2017-18 and beyond. We will confirm arrangements in due course.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Mass Media: Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to raise awareness of fake news distributed online and on social media.

Matt Hancock: We are committed to protecting the reliability and objectivity of information essential to our democracy.

Tourism: Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of recent terror attacks in the UK on the UK tourism industry.

John Glen: It is too early to say if there has been any short or long-term impact on bookings. VisitBritain are working closely with the tourism industry to monitor any impact on the sector and DCMS attends the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group, which meets after major incidents. Britain continues to welcome the millions of visitors from around the globe who come to enjoy the world-class attractions that our capital city, nations and regions have to offer.

Internet: Regulation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to regulate the internet.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Queen's Speech 2017, when the proposals for a new digital charter will be released.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to bring forward her digital charter; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Hancock: As announced in the Queen's Speech, we will put forward proposals for a Digital Charter which will set out a framework for how businesses, individuals and wider society should act online. This will ensure we get the right balance between freedom and security in the digital age, so that we can harness the power of new technology for good, and mitigate the new threats it presents.

Sanitary Protection: Taxation

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2017 to Question 71768, if she will amend the application criteria for the Tampon Tax Fund to include a stipulation that funding will not provided to organisations which seek to restrict access to abortion.

Tracey Crouch: Applications have closed for the current round of the Tampon Tax Fund. Details about any future rounds of the Fund and the criteria which will be used will be confirmed in due course.

Youth Social Action Review

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the names of the members on the Youth Social Action Review advisory panel.

Tracey Crouch: The Chair and advisory panel members for the independent review of full-time social action by young people are as follows:ChairSteve HollidayPanelSaeed AtchaVeronica WadleyAndy HaldaneProfessor Sue MaguireCharlotte Hill

Voluntary Work: Young People

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government plans to respond to the Public Accounts Committee's report on the National Citizen Service, published on 6 March 2017.

Tracey Crouch: The Department for Culture Media and Sport is working with the NCS Trust on a formal Treasury Minute Response to the Public Accounts Committee’s report. This Minute is currently scheduled for publication in the House of Commons in October 2017.

Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the Government's 2017 review of the Social Value Act.

Tracey Crouch: The government remains committed to the Social Value Act and continues to implement the recommendations of the Lord Young Review. We will make an announcement on the Public Services (Social Value) Act in due course.

Horizon 2020 and Erasmus Plus Programme

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on continuing UK participation in the Horizon 2020 Erasmus Plus schemes after the UK has left the EU.

Matt Hancock: Government departments are consulting with many stakeholders, as part of reviewing all EU funding schemes, to ensure that any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK’s national interest.

Performing Arts: Recruitment

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the performing arts industry on the merits of enabling artists to use self-taping to provide access to casting processes.

John Glen: Government believes everyone should have access to opportunities in the cultural sectors. Ministers and officials regularly meet with a range of representatives of the performing arts industry to discuss issues affecting the sector.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Reservoirs

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the need for increased reservoir capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is currently developing a new National Policy Statement that will establish the need for new nationally significant water supply infrastructure. This will support the delivery of new large supply options where they have been identified as the preferred option in company Water Resources Management Plans. Last year, the Government asked the water industry to assess the public water supply needs for the next 50 years. This assessment concluded a ‘twin track’ approach of enhanced supply (through new infrastructure such as reservoirs and transfers) and reduced demand (reducing leakage and implementing water efficiency measures) would be needed. We expect water companies to take this latest evidence into account when carrying out their statutory water resources management planning. This planning process requires water companies to identify all options that are available to them to balance their supply and demand and to determine which options to pursue. Water companies are due to publish new draft plans by January 2018.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

George Eustice: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Infectious Bovine Rhino Tracheitis Pneumonia

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) is an endemic viral disease of cattle that is widespread across Europe and other parts of the world. In common with other viral diseases there is no specific treatment for IBR and so mainly supportive therapy and vaccination are used by farmers in consultation with their private veterinary surgeons. There are also a number of industry-driven health schemes that seek to control or eradicate IBR from individual herds. Additional information is available on the Cattle Health Certification Standards (CHeCS) website.

Flood Control: Capital Investment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what projection his Department has made of the total allocated budget for capital spend on flood defences in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As the Government manifesto outlines, we will continue to invest a record £2.5 billion into flood defence improvement programmes, to better protect the country from flooding. This includes over 1,500 flood defence schemes, which will better protect more than 300,000 existing properties within a six year period, from 2015 to 2021. Capital funding allocations up to 2021 to better protect the country from flooding are available online and can be accessed from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/549093/Funding_for_Flood_and_Coastal_Erosion_in_England_Sep_2016.pdf.

Agriculture: Migrant Workers

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the effect of immigration rules on the seasonal agricultural workforce in Wales.

George Eustice: Defra Ministers are having ongoing discussions with a range of government departments, including the Home Office about the sector’s concerns about securing the workforce that it needs for the future. Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails, and employers in the agricultural and food processing sectors are free to continue to recruit EU workers to meet their labour needs. For the longer-term, we are considering the options for our future immigration system very carefully, and will look to develop a system which works for the whole United Kingdom.

Agriculture: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the new Agriculture Bill is suited to the farming conditions in (a) Ceredigion constituency and (b) Wales.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the new schemes set out in the Agriculture Bill take into account representations from the devolved administrations.

George Eustice: The Agriculture Bill will ensure that after we leave the EU, and the Common Agricultural Policy, we have an effective system in place to support UK farmers and protect our natural environment. We will consult widely with the devolved administrations on the appropriate extent of any legislation. Ministers have met representatives from FWU and NFU Wales on a number of occasions.

Agriculture

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the importance of the farming trade in the negotiations with the EU.

George Eustice: Food and farming are central to our national identity and a bedrock of our economy, generating £110 billion a year in the UK. We want to see this vital industry go from strength to strength, taking advantage of the growing demand for the British brand. We are determined to get the best deal for the UK in our negotiations to leave the EU. Ministers regularly hold discussions with colleagues across government.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at what point the UK will cease translating new EU directives relating to his Department's responsibilities into UK law.

George Eustice: Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation.

Air Pollution

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of implementing the measures outlined in the consultation, Improving air quality: reducing nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities, launched 5 May 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The technical report accompanying the draft Air Quality Plan included analysis of a range of possible measures that could be considered. Cost estimates are made on pages 187-188 of the technical report, available here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/air-quality-plan-for-tackling-nitrogen-dioxide/supporting_documents/Technical%20Report%20%20Amended%209%20May%202017.pdf The final Plan will present analysis of the agreed package of measures as a whole.

Origin Marking: Scotland

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that (a) Ayrshire Earlies, (b) Forfar Bridies, (c) Ayrshire Dunlop, (d) Orkney Cheddar, (e) Stornoway black pudding, (f) Scottish wild salmon, (g) Scottish farmed salmon, (h) native Shetland wool, (i) Scottish lamb, (j) Scottish beef, (k) Arbroath smokies, (l) Teviotdale cheese. (m) Shetland lamb, (n) Orkney beef and (o) Orkney lamb continue to be protected by either (i) Protected Designation of Origin, (ii) Protected Geographical Indication and (iii) Traditional Speciality Guaranteed provisions after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The EU Protected Food Name scheme has helped to promote heritage food products and speciality recipes including many from Scotland. Ayrshire Earlies and Forfar Bridies are currently applying for protection. The government is considering options that would allow us to protect UK designations after we leave the EU. The scheme is also very important to a number of other EU countries who will want the UK to agree to recognise their protected food names in the UK market after we leave the EU. This will be a matter for negotiations.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Immigration: EU Nationals

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, by what date EU citizens living in the UK will know the cut-off point after which any new EU citizens arriving in the UK may not be given settled status.

Mr Robin Walker: We want to reach a reciprocal agreement for EU citizens in Britain and UK nationals in Europe as quickly as possible, including on the issue of the specified date.The specified date is a matter for negotiations with our European partners as part of delivering a reciprocal agreement. We are clear that it should be no earlier than the date we triggered Article 50 (29 March 2017), and no later than the date we leave the EU. To specify a date now, and then risk this changing through the course of negotiations, would lead to further uncertainty for both EU citizens and UK nationals.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises since its creation.

Mr Steve Baker: To date, no contracts have been awarded to Charities or Social Enterprises by the Department for Exiting the European Union.

UK Trade with EU

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with those sectors potentially most affected by the greatest increase in transitional tariffs in the event that the UK moves onto World Trade Organisation rules after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We want tariff-free trade with Europe, and for cross-border trade to be as frictionless as possible. Officials across Government are carrying out a programme of sectoral and regulatory analysis, looking in detail at over 50 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory issues, to identify the key factors for UK businesses and the labour force that will affect our negotiations with the EU.This ongoing analysis has been supplemented by a wide-ranging programme of engagement undertaken by the Department, speaking to a significant number of organisations and individuals, to establish their priorities and understand their concerns.

European Medicines Agency

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has to negotiate for the European Medicines Agency to remain in the UK.

Mr Steve Baker: As the Chancellor has said, ultimately the location of the European Union’s agencies will be for the European Union.The UK’s future relationship with the EMA is a matter for negotiation. In the negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of medicines regulation in the best interests of both the UK and the EU.

Brexit

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans he has to invite representatives who are not directly elected mayors to meetings with Northern local authority and business leaders to discuss the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: DExEU and DCLG are working closely with the Local Government Association and regional partners across the country to understand clearly issues related to exit and identify any regional implications. In addition, the Government is engaging extensively with regional stakeholders and businesses across all parts of the UK, and intends to continue this work throughout the exit process.

Attorney General

Confiscation Orders

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, what the value, including interest, was of outstanding confiscation orders where the Serious Fraud Office had the lead enforcement role in the financial year 2016-17; and what estimate he has made of how much of that value will be recovered.

Jeremy Wright: Recovering the proceeds of crime is a one of the SFO’s strategic objectives. The SFO is committed to using all tools available to it in conducting its proceeds of crime work, and to ensuring that confiscation orders (arising from the cases it prosecutes) are satisfied in full. The SFO has a specialist Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance Division, whose work includes restraint, confiscation and enforcement, civil recovery, and money laundering investigations and prosecutions. A detailed breakdown of the SFO’s performance in recovering the proceeds of crime over the last five years is published on its website at: https://www.sfo.gov.uk/about-us/. In 2016-17, £25.4m of financial orders, compensation orders and civil recovery orders were obtained and over £20m was actually recovered in respect of previous orders obtained by the SFO. At present the recovery rate for confiscation orders made in the last four financial years is 81%. The value of outstanding confiscation (current order amount)[1] orders as of 3rd July 2017, including interest, in which the SFO has the lead enforcement role is £144,952,036. The total interest in respect of these orders is £50,294,045 and the net amount outstanding is £94,657,991. Most of the net outstanding amount (88%) relates to just four out of 22 current orders.The SFO estimate that their current realistic recoverable amount is between £10 - £12 million.[2] The amount that is currently assessed as unrecoverable comprises in the main hidden assets, unrecovered tainted gifts to associates, assets subject to third party claims or overseas assets. [1] Orders can be increased (s.22 POCA) and decreased (s.23 POCA) and the figures set out relate to the current order amount and not the original amount[2] The figure provided above is the SFOs best estimate as of 04/07/2017.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Guto Bebb: The Wales Office receives its procurement services from the Ministry of Justice and therefore has not put any contracts out to tender.

EU Law: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, which EU regulations applicable to the UK but relevant only to Wales will need to be transposed into UK law.

Guto Bebb: The Repeal Bill will convert EU law into UK law. We do not envisage any converted regulations being relevant only to Wales.

Devolution: Scotland

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what issues reserved under the terms of the Wales Act 2017, are devolved to the Scottish Assembly.

Alun Cairns: The devolution settlements across the UK are not identical and instead reflect the unique circumstances and histories of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. The Wales Act 2017 implements the proposals in the cross-party St David’s Day Agreement and reflects this in the new reserved powers model of Welsh devolution, which makes clear that subjects such as policing and criminal justice, devolved to the Scottish Parliament, are reserved in Wales.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many contracts put out to tender by his Department were awarded to (a) charities and (b) social enterprises in each year since 2010.

Dr Phillip Lee: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Pregnancy: Discrimination

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve access to justice for women who have experienced maternity and pregnancy discrimination; and if he will make a statement.

Dominic Raab: Publicly funded advice continues to be available for Employment Tribunal discrimination claims, and publicly funded advice and representation is available in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. This includes funding for new and expectant mothers who may have experienced discrimination.The Government’s reforms to the scope of civil legal aid were designed to refocus funding on those who need it most and for the most serious cases in which legal advice and representation are justified.We have specifically protected legal aid (both for initial advice and representation), subject to the statutory means and merits tests, for civil legal services provided in relation to contravention of the Equality Act 2010.

Domestic Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who will be consulted about the content of the draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Government will consult with professionals, victims, experts and wider communities ahead of introducing a Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill.

Domestic Violence and Courts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the Department plans to publish the draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill and the Courts Bill.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Government will publish a draft Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill in this session after consulting stakeholders. The Government is also committed to introducing legislation in this session to modernise the courts system, as set out in the Queen’s Speech.

Reoffenders

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners who have attended rehabilitation courses in prison have reoffended in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Information on offenders released from prison in England and Wales who have attended Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes is held on individual prisoner files. The information requested could therefore only be obtained centrally at disproportionate cost.

Coroners

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the implementation of the Coroner Reform programme.

Dr Phillip Lee: In March 2013 we published a consultation on the implementation of the coroner reforms in Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We implemented those reforms along with supporting rules and regulations, in July 2013. We published guidance on reformed coroner services in February 2014.

Post-mortems

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has published to ensure the minimal use of invasive autopsies.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for coronial law and policy only. The decision to commission a post mortem examination as part of a coronial investigation, and what form it takes, is for the coroner as an independent judicial office holder. The Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on post mortem imaging.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to applications granted under subsection 41(3)c(i) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to use rape complainants' previous sexual history as evidence, how many of those applications resulted in the defendant being (a) acquitted and (b) convicted in each of the last five years.

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases an application was made under subsection 41(3)c(i) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 for a rape complainant's previous sexual history to be used as evidence in court in each of the last five years; and how many such applications were granted.

Dominic Raab: This information requested is not held centrally.

Rape: Trials

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to amend subsection 41(3)c(i) of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 which allows rape complainant's previous sexual history to be used as evidence in court.

Dominic Raab: The Attorney General and the previous Justice Secretary committed to looking at how s41 is operating in practice. MoJ keep all areas of criminal justice procedure under ongoing review.

Cabinet Office

Intelligence Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the security of intelligence shared between signatories of the Five Eyes alliance.

Caroline Nokes: The UK has in place various arrangements to ensure the protection of classified information exchanged with international partners and organisations. Such arrangements are kept under regular review.

Cybercrime

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will improve cyber security to ensure the resilience and security of Government information and communication technology infrastructure.

Caroline Nokes: Transformation of Government’s cyber security is supported by investment from the £1.9bn National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) and aims to realise the objectives set out in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021. The Government will build cyber security resilience through: the adoption of National Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Active Cyber Defence’ measures, migration away from insecure legacy or unsupported IT systems (such as the type affected by the recent ransomware attacks) and the safe adoption of commodity technology and cloud services. In addition, Government will shortly issue new Baseline Cyber Security Standards to all central Government departments and their agencies. There is also sizeable investment and emphasis on creation of a new Government security profession that will create a pipeline of cyber security talent and address skills shortages. To further improve communications technology we are also investing in a new and highly secure shared IT service for departments with sensitive policy portfolios as well as developing specialist advice and support to protect Government’s most sensitive information areas of work.

Strokes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many young people have died due to having had a stroke aged under (a) 30, (b) 40 and (c) 60-years old in the last five years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response to PQ1528
(PDF Document, 74.14 KB)

Cybercrime

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will update the ransomware guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Caroline Nokes: The latest update to NCSC’s general ransomware guidance was published in October 2016. This has been updated and supplemented with specific guidance regarding the WannaCry global ransomware attack over the period 17th – 19th May 2017. NCSC guidance is subject to a regular review process and updated as necessary.

Democratic Unionist Party

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a list of people who attended each negotiation session which led to the Government's agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Damian Green: This is an agreement between two political parties. For the Conservative Party negotiations were led by Gavin Williamson MP and the First Secretary of State, and by Jeffrey Donaldson MP and Nigel Dodds MP for the DUP, involving members of each party as necessary.

Democratic Unionist Party

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the minutes and any notes taken of the meetings between the Government and the Democratic Unionist Party which led to the agreement on confidence and supply.

Damian Green: Discussions between the Democratic Unionist Party and the Conservative Party have been political and no minutes have been taken.

Political Parties: Advertising

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he plans to introduce legislation to regulate spending by political parties on online advertising.

Chris Skidmore: Legislation is already in place to regulate spending by political parties on online advertising. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 regulates certain spending by political parties in the period running up to major elections. This includes spending on advertising both online and offline.

Government Departments: Computer Software

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any Government Departments use Medoc software.

Caroline Nokes: The Government does not hold a central inventory of software used by departments. However, the National Cyber Security Centre has encouraged any victims or potential victims of the recent malware incident to contact them directly.

Galliford Try

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many public contracts have been awarded to Galliford Try in (a) Easington constituency and (b) the UK in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

English Votes for English Laws

Ian Murray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he plans to review the operation of the English Votes for English Laws Standing Orders.

Chris Skidmore: The Government undertook a technical review of the Standing Orders relating to English Votes for English Laws in October 2016. A report was subsequently published on 30 March 2017 in which the Government concluded that the procedures introduced by English Votes have shown to be working well and do not require substantive change at this time. However, Parliament and the Government will continue to work together in monitoring the operation of the procedures. A copy of the report can be found at the below address:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-votes-for-english-laws-review

Third Party Campaigning Review

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish a response to the Third Party Campaigning Review.

Chris Skidmore: The Government is currently considering Lord Hodgson’s report on third party campaigning. It is considering the report alongside a number of other reports which have made recommendations about the framework of electoral law, such as the the Law Commission’s review of electoral law. The Government will respond to the issues raised in due course.

Political Parties: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government remains committed to ensuring consistent levels of transparency on political donations made to political parties.

Chris Skidmore: The rules about transparency of political donations are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government intends to bring forward legislation to extend transparency that already exists for political parties in Great Britain to also cover donations and loans received by Northern Ireland parties on or after 1 July 2017.

Devolution

Heidi Allen: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that devolution settlements take account of the implications of the UK leaving the EU for everyone in the UK.

Damian Green: The Government is committed to ensuring that withdrawal from the EU is a successful and smooth process for the whole of the UK and that no new barriers to living and working within our union are created. The Repeal Bill will take account of devolution as it prepares us to leave the EU.

Devolution

James Cartlidge: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the Union.

Damian Green: We will strengthen the social, economic, and cultural bond between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. We will: secure a Brexit deal that works for all of the UK; develop a UK Shared Prosperity Fund to reduce regional inequalities; and deliver an industrial strategy to secure prosperity across the country.

Electoral Register

Iain Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to modernise and improve the electoral registration process.

Chris Skidmore: The Register to Vote website has transformed our democratic engagement process and we want to explore the possibility of further digital solutions, to further improve the system. We are now looking at evidence collected through the general election to see which developments could make the electoral process even more accessible.

Government Departments: Disability

Paul Scully: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure access to Government services for people with disabilities.

Caroline Nokes: Government has committed to ensuring that services are accessible for all users, including people with disabilities. The Government Digital Service provides guidance to support departments, has created a cross government accessibility community to enable collaboration, and reviews the services it assesses against accessibility requirements.